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GREG-SPONSES 2010-08 (Aug)

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Grant writes...

In several episodes of Disney's Aladdin there featured a winged serpent character from a Mesoamerican rainforest who served the role of an antagonist to the characters. Though there are only surface similarities to the character of Zafiro in Gargoyles, both of them were voiced by Hector Elizondo. Were you aware of this? Was the casting a coincidence?

Greg responds...

I was not aware of it. I don't know if the casting was a coincidence: did Jamie Thomason cast Aladdin too? I can't remember.

Response recorded on August 04, 2010

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Anonymous writes...

For some reason, Man-Wolf is a very cool villain to me. I loved what you were doing with John in the show. Did you have a plan to make him Man-Wolf? It seemed like Professor Warren was going to be the perfect catalyst/enabler for that transformation.

Also, you once said that even if one didn't like the transformation of Kraven, to bear with it because you had some really cool plans extending from that. Would you be able to give us an idea of what those plans were?

Greg responds...

I had plans for both John and Kraven -- in fact those plans were connected. But I'm not inclined to go into detail on them at this time.

Response recorded on August 04, 2010

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Antiyonder writes...

One particular cartoon I heard that you tried to pitch was Disney's Villains which you gave this description for:
"DISNEY'S VILLAINS.

We had to develop this one over and over, despite the fact that I successfully sold it to Michael Eisner on MORE THAN ONE occasion. The problem was that MY BOSS, Gary Krisel, didn't like the idea and kept rejecting every approach. Kept unselling the idea, in essence.

One approach had Captain Hook (easily the original model for Igthorn who was in turn the original model for Xavier) stumbling through the Wicked Queen's Magic Mirror into Jafar's lamp. Jafar can't get out, except on a technicality. If the world turns so evil, that letting him out is redundant, than he's free. So he applies a carrot/stick approach to Hook and has him gather the greatest villains in the Disney Toon Universe to try and turn the world evil.

Our main cast included Hook, Cruella, Don Karnage, Mad Madame Mim, Megavolt, Toadie. Ratigan, maybe. I can't remember now. It was long ago and we went through so many versions. We put together some VERY funny stuff.

There was one story with Ursula and Monstro for example.

Another great series I couldn't get on the air."

Now have you considered approaching Disney and Boom Comics with this story? I ask since Boom has published several comics already on classic franchises (i.e. Darkwing Duck, The Muppet Show, Toy Story). Infact, the continuation of Darkwing Duck is why I felt the need to bring up this question.

Or have you lost interest in the series?

Greg responds...

I haven't lost interest, and it's an interesting suggestion, but I'm not sure how practical it is.

These villains come from multiple different franchises. Disney could do it themselves, but for another company it would be a licensing nightmare.

Response recorded on August 04, 2010

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Greg Bishansky writes...

You once said that the reason Demona hasn't been back to Nightstone Unlimited since "Hunter's Moon" is because she is lying low, paranoid that "Dominique Destine" has been outed. Robyn Canmore found out, turned out to be a Hunter, and was then taken into custody.

But, and this is something else I was wondering recently. Would Demona have any real interest or even desire to run a corporation? That seems to be Thailog's M.O., considering who educated him.

Demona doesn't seem to me like she would have the patience to deal with all the paperwork, and other responsibilities of a CEO. Not to mention it seems doubtful that she has any business training. I'm assuming Thailog gave her a crash course when they both established the company.

I guess what I am asking is, did Demona have any interest in Nightstone Unlimited at all besides using its resources to finalize Operation Clean Slate?

Greg responds...

Whether or not she's "interested" doesn't change the fact that she sees the advantages of it. Whether or not she actually has the "patience" to do it, doesn't sound like something she'd admit to, even to herself. Whether or not she has the "training" doesn't seem like something she'd consider.

Response recorded on August 04, 2010

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Grant writes...

1) Is Miss Martian like her counterpart from the comic book a white martian?

2) Is Artemis an original character like Aqualad?

3) What is the origin of Superboy? Is he a clone of Luthor and Superman like in the comic?

4) It's being reported that YJ is actually set in one of the DCU's multiverse earths? Is this true?

5) Why Zatara and not Zatanna in the Justice League?

Greg responds...

1. No comment.

2. No.

3. No comment.

4. Yes. DC assigned Earth-16 to us. We're a parallel universe, but still part of their overall multiverse continuity. Some things will be very parallel. Other things will differ quite a bit, and everything in between.

5. That will eventually become obvious.

Response recorded on August 04, 2010

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Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...

one last question:
In response to my appreciative ramble on your portrayal of Flash Thompson in the cartoon you answered that you had specific ideas about when and why Flash stopped liking Peter and being friends but you were on the fence about revealing them. Similarly on when he transitioned to actually tormenting Peter and whether all this took place before or after Peter’s parents’ deaths. If you have come off the fence in whole or in part I’d love to hear more.

You also said that Flash’s well timed hauling of Peter over the coals for his bad treatment of others was the reason he was went to the hospital and not to visit Aunt May. (Though I suppose he may have visited as well.) If despite all the animosity he believes he justly holds towards Peter he still came and did that, it speaks all the more highly of him. Also kudos to the animators for giving him that annoyed look that fits very well with: ‘I have to be doing this right thing here, but you really don’t deserve it’.

Greg responds...

Hmmm...

Okay. Here's my thinking. Peter and Flash were best friends at age @4. Then Peter's parents died. Flash's dad was a soldier and then a cop (both dangerous jobs). Young Flash couldn't deal with being that close to death. He didn't want to play with Peter anymore. And in his own YOUNG mind he had to find a way to justify/rationalize his decision that wasn't about his fears. So he convinced himself that Peter was a stuck-up egghead (or somesuch) who deserved to be dumped as a friend.

By the time WE meet Flash and Peter at the beginning of their junior year of high school, Flash's mindset is fairly well entrenched and the original reason for it is lost to him. Somewhere deep down, he knows better and given enough time and episodes we would have eventually dealt with this objectively in the series. Not to be, I'm afraid...

Response recorded on August 03, 2010

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Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...

This is touching on the type of theoretical questions you hate, but I’ll attempt it…

Are there any shows you watch that you wish you were involved in? Any shows you are glad you weren’t involved with because you wouldn’t want it any other different than it is? Any shows you didn’t enjoy, but think you could have made the concept shine? I don’t necessarily mean something you worked on and it didn’t work out, (like when you wrote the series bible to Roswell Conspiracies or the like), I mean even seeing a cartoon as an adult that you enjoyed as a child and thinking ‘if I were doing that…’. That creative itch that sometimes hits when watching a show and really wanting to play in that sandbox.

I figure either you'll hate this question or one or two examples will suddenly spring to mind.

Greg responds...

Yeah... I would have loved to work with Joss Whedon on Buffy or Angel or Firefly. Not that I think I would have improved on it, but I would just have loved to play in that world with the master.

There are cartoon series I was really jealous of, like the MTV Spider-Man series. But (no surprise) I'm over that now.

I haven't seen anything but a few clips of the upcoming series, so this isn't a comment on it per se, but I would have loved to do an Avengers series. Frankly, I would have loved to have taken what we did on SpecSpidey and widened it, building an entire Marvel Universe. It's one of the things that's so fun about Young Justice. We're not just adapting YJ or Teen Titans, but the entire DC Universe (or one of them (#16) anyway).

The Highlander TV series was one where I thought it had moments of greatness, but was also a bit of a mess at times. I would have loved the POWER (Bwahaha) to grab the reins of that one.

I'm sure there are plenty of other examples, as I have generally -- and I'm not proud of this -- lived a professional life filled with (and marred by) tremendous ENVY. I just can't think of any others at this time. At least not any others that wouldn't get me in some trouble. ;)

Response recorded on August 03, 2010

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Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...

I’ve heard you mention several times that you have had very good luck with S&P over several series, praising people who really understood the series and were more interested in showing consequence than keeping any violence off screen. When they put their foot down it was generally to avoid what a child can copy, even willing to have a different violent action in place they couldn’t. Did you ever have bad experiences? (Either on a series you were running, or one you freelanced on.)

Greg responds...

Yes, I've had many. Some completely inexplicable. Others explicable, but still wrong-headed.

Taranee on W.I.T.C.H. was a constant problem, as her power was fire and the S&P executive was very uncomfortable with... I'm not quite sure... the notion that we were encouraging child pyromania? The possibility that kids would use magic to generate flames?

I can't think of a really funny example just this second, though God knows I have more than a handful.

Response recorded on August 03, 2010

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Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...

I read an interesting article arguing that Ditko walked away from Spiderman because of an affront to his Objectivism principles. Specifically that he was setting up Norman Osborn to be Peter’s mentor and an exemplar of Objectivism. I was wondering what your thoughts were on the theory, and if there was ever a thought about it when working on Spectacular Spiderman?

Greg responds...

I won't pretend I'm an expert on Objectivism or even on the reasons why Ditko left Spider-Man.

We did set Norman up as a mentor to Peter... but this was in line with how we had interpreted the character. Whether or not Mr. Ditko would like our interpretation is a question, I cannot of course answer.

Response recorded on August 03, 2010

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Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...

I had asked what age you thought is the youngest age to start watching Gargoyles and…
Greg responds...
Well, I may not be the best person to go to for this advice. Not like I'm some parental expert. Just a parent. But I started my kids on Gargoyles VERY YOUNG. And it held their interest, which was my main concern. There's stuff there for them to enjoy, and IF THEY ASK about any of the more mature aspects of the show, there are teachable moments. That is to say, I didn't sit them in front of the TV and walk away. I watched WITH them. We had fun. And we learned some stuff together. But I think they were each about two when they started watching Gargoyles.

That's right! TWO!!! <chuckle>

Okay, yeah, I'm a bad parent. I mean I watch Dexter with my fifteen-year-old daughter. So don't listen to me.

Me again…
I just couldn’t watch a show like Dexter with my little girl! It seems just wrong to tell a child, “Tell mommy when the gore is done so she can open her eyes.” Wait… you meant because she enjoys it, not just so you don’t have to watch ‘icky’ scenes? I suppose I can see myself doing that J

[Just in case you don’t have perfect recall- the rest of your answer was really good parental advice, ‘expert’ or no:
“But I do think the key is to watch Dexter WITH your kids and not let them watch it alone. Oh, and when Dexter's over, put on an episode of The Office or something light and funny before bedtime. ”]

Greg responds...

Thanks. I do love watching TV with my kids. But we stick to shows THEY want to see that I don't mind seeing too.

Response recorded on August 02, 2010


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