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REVELATIONS 2012-09 (Sep)
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Anonymous writes...
I really enjoyed much of season one of Young Justice, but I was... disturbed by the Wally/Artemis relationship and its resolution. Though Artemis had many great storylines at the forefront regarding her family, the Wally/Artemis storyline seemed to focus mostly on HIS feelings and not really hers, which combined with Kent Nelson's comments about how Wally needs to "find his own spitfire" gives the relationship a very bitter taste of using a female character and her romantic attention as a tool to aide a male character's growth and/or something to be consumed to make him a better person.
We're never really given much reason to understand what appeal or advantages the relationship holds for her. I mean, the narrative hints/tropes are there and so I suppose there follows an audience expectation along the lines of "two people fight to mask their sexual tension" but I don't think just having the trappings of the trope without examining any kind of deeper emotional connection or commonality works. As it stands, it mostly just seems like they hooked up because That's How These Things Go and we were supposed to cheer for it for those same reasons.
Emotionally, it felt hollow and, frankly, problematic for the reasons I mentioned.
My apologies if this isn't the proper forum for criticism, but this has really been bothering me for a while.
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"To begin with, I think you need to go back to Artemis' introduction in 'Infiltrator'. She saw a cute boy enter and that made her insecure, so she cracked a joke. He reacted VERY badly to being embarrassed, and that put them at odds, but I think that both were attracted to each other from moment one. We tried to show that without telling it - or at least without being on the head about telling it.
Then they challenged each other. Not just her challenging him, but him challenging her. And I think she came to admire his intellect - even when it was misdirected, as in 'Denial'. There has to be a reason that she kept at him. If he was of no interest to her, why would she bother? Then you have Kent Nelson. Both Wally and Artemis HEARD what Kent had to say, and it wasn't lost on them. But they didn't want to cop to it, because both felt the other didn't like him or her. So that insecurity pushed them both further into denial.
Then you have 'Bereft'. Here, as I've discussed before, they meet again for the first time without the negative first impression. They genuinely like each other, trust each other and are attracted to each other. When their memories return, so do their insecurities - neither will risk being the first to admit they like the other. But it's not like they forgot that (positive) time spent together. And it's not like their deaf to Robin's 'Get a room' line either.
And so on. Artemis saved the day in 'Homefront'. But she couldn't have done it if Wally hadn't provided the science. (And given her interest in science, revealed in "Denial", I think that would mean something to her.)
Plus, let's not forget the double-whammy of 'Failsafe' and 'Disordered'. Here we reveal just how intensely Wally feels for Artemis, and just how much interest each has in the other. The trick is neither is prepared to take a risk. Rejection from Superboy (such as it was) is nothing compared to the fear Artemis has over being rejected by Wally.
Wally meanwhile is afraid to admit his strong feelings for Artemis, so maintains focus on the safer Miss Martian. Artemis does the same toward Superboy. Both then have to be disabused of the notion that their crushes are viable. I tend to think that deep down, the revelation about Conner and M'gann's relationship was less of a shock to each then it seemed. They didn't want to admit to themselves what they were probably sensing deep down. One reason for Artemis' extreme reaction to the knowledge, I think, is that she was trying SO hard to think that Superboy was a possibility BECAUSE Wally clearly seemed NOT to be, and so she wanted to have something she could use to push Wally out of her mind.
So in 'Coldhearted', Wally learns some big lessons. Miss Martian is out of the picture - and that helps clear his mind. But mostly, he matures solidly in the episode. Now he's ready to behave differently. And in 'Insecurity', he's willing to take a risk. And Artemis rewards that risk taken, by meeting him part way. But she has other bigger insecurities in the way, and they REALLY get in the way, so that by the time we get to the beginning of 'Usual Suspects' - they're still at odds. But one of the reason they are SO at odds, is because for them, the stakes seem very high.
So when the truth finally comes out, it's a HUGE relief. She sees that he accepts her. He doesn't even have to say it. She can see that he does. And he sees that the reason she's been a pain have little to do with him. The deck is cleared.
Then they partner up in 'Auld Acquaintance', and they're a good team. All of which leads really easily into the kiss on New Year's Eve. (Another excuse to do something that they otherwise might have been scared about.)
From there, it's fairly clear sailing. I'm not saying there weren't any ups and downs during the five year gap, because there were. But they both know they have a good thing now. And they stick with it.
The irony is that a lot of fans seemed to think this was about opposites attracting. But we never saw it that way. In fact, we saw it as quite the reverse. Artemis and Kid Flash had so MUCH in common, it was nearly impossible for them to get together. But once they did, it felt very right."
[Response recorded on August 29, 2012.]
Kadeem writes...
Hey Greg,
I loved Gargoyles and I watched some reruns on Disney XD. Are there any future plans for Gargoyles and will the series be available on ITunes? I missed the show.
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"It's not a bad idea, but the POINT I'm constantly trying to make is that I have no more insight into Disney's mindset than you guys do. I can keep you updated, but I have no idea whether or not they'd be interested in an iTunes set-up. Personally, I'd way prefer a DVD release."
[Response recorded on January 15, 2008.]
Phillip writes...
Do you know of any plans for a complete second season release of Spectacular Spider-Man?
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"I have no control or influence over this. Believe me, no one's more frustrated than myself."
[Response recorded on March 11, 2011.]
Xanatos writes...
I was just recently watching "Destructive Testing" from Season 2 of the Spectacular Spider-Man, and I was wondering, what was the creative decision to make Kraven a genetically altered human rather than just him being a "normal" guy?
Also, did you have any plans on MIles Warren creating clones or becoming the Jackel later down the line had a season 3 been made?
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"The mutated Kraven idea was borrowed/adapted from Ultimate Spider-Man. The short answer is that we thought it was a pretty cool idea and visual. Plus we have long term plans for Kraven that I won't get into now."
[Response recorded on August 4, 2009.]
"I had many specific ideas, some of which would undoubtedly have changed over the course of production. But I'm just not too inclined to reveal them. It's not that I'm trying to torture you, it's just that there's no way I can do them justice in this format. I write 'X' would have happened, and that one statement will get dissected across the internet. And any idea is only as good as its execution - which you'll now never get to see. It may sound stupid here, but I might have been able (with the help of Vic Cook and all my other many collaborators) to pull it off on the series and have everyone think I'm a genius. Or not. But at least it would have had a shot. I just don't feel like opening myself up to potential second-guessing based on raw notions as opposed to executed episodes."
[Response recorded on August 5, 2010.]
Bunny writes...
Mr Weisman, is Karen Beecher 18 or 20? While her database page says she' 18 shouldn't she be twenty due to the fact that she was 15 in season 1?
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"They range from thirteen (Beast Boy) to twenty (Bumblebee)."
[Response recorded on September 18, 2012.]
Mike Priest writes...
Heya, Greg. Big fan of...well, virtually everything you've worked on.
I just have a Q or two about the Season 2 premiere.
Is Captain Atom acting chairman/leader of the Justice League now? If so, how exactly does the League leadership structure work in this show?
Thanks!
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"As of Season Two, yes."
[Response recorded on September 24, 2012.]
"He was formally elected."
[Response recorded on February 2, 2011.]
"The leadership rotates."
[Response recorded on October 26, 2011.]
"Length of service is generally a year. Though there are exceptions."
[Response recorded on February 22, 2012.]
Cole writes...
Hey Greg
Do you happen to know the ratings of each episode, does cartoon network tell you them,becuase I checked the wiki and theres nothing about the ratings. Not that I care about the ratings, I am sure they are really good but I would just like to know becuase I want Young Justice to stay on air for a long time.
Would ratings effect how long the show will stay on air?
Thanks
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"That's not a consistent prospect.
I don't know.
I don't know this either. We occasionally get ratings reports from our bosses or from CN. But that's inconsistent too."
[Response recorded on September 26, 2012.]
Anonymous writes...
What does "Keesy fem" mean when Lobo was insulting Wonder Girl in Happy New Year? Also, did Lobo said, "Keesy fem, your world is your world!" or was I mistakenly hearing those words? You do know some of us can't hear Lobo's accent very well.
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"Some of the following language has been considerably toned down in translation from the original Interlac. For example, the word 'keezy' translates as 'little', but it has a WAY more pejorative connotation than that.
Also, we originally recorded nearly all of Lobo's dialogue in both English and Interlac so that we could decided later which we'd use with when. But I don't have immediate access to our final decisions handy, so I'll just give you all of it.
*Hahn Sho Lobo skahveyt-ka, ka SKAHvey keezy Krolo! [The Main Man can smell you, you stinkin' little Krolotean!]
*Ka ree? Ka REE? [Seriously?]
*Ka seh Hahn Sho Lobo, Krolo. Plee-ay suh frag. [Just you and the Main Man, Krolotean. Surrender or die.]
*Frag ka. [Die it is.]
*Ka ree? Keezy fem frag Hahn Sho Lobo? Ka ree? [Seriously? This little girl thinks she can take down the Main Man?]
*Keezy fem… [Little girl…]
*Rok tor keezy fem. [Planet of the little girls.]
*Frag-ka, Krolo. [Time to die, Krolotean.]
*SKAHvey Krolo… [Stinkin' Krolotean.]
*Hahn Sho Lobo lok toy. Keezy fem… ka rok, ka rok. [The Main Man's contract's complete. Little girls… your world's your world.]
*Vlash suh frag. [Shut up or die.]"
[Response recorded on September 19, 2012.]
Allan calderini writes...
I am sorry if you answer this question that I ask but I think you are going to erase my past post so.
First Hi Greg I am a big fan of yours from Honduras.My little brother love your show his favorite character is Superboy. I am new to this stuff so please be patience for the questions I ask.
1I know this is not an anime but are you going to ever release an album containing the soundtracks ,sounds, and background music that is use in young justice?Because they are some that I love.
2Do cartoons series release albums that contains music like the openings and endings?
I know they are silly questions but can you answer them please.:)
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"Not currently. But hopefully someday..."
[Response recorded on September 25, 2012.]
Max writes...
On a scale of 1 to 10, how creeped out would you be if I told you I loved you at a meet and greet?
Just curious.
Greg responds...
I guess it would depend on your tone of voice and how much of my personal space you invaded.
Will writes...
Is Lagoon Boy's real name, La'gaan, also a reference to Gurren Lagann, an anime series in which Yuri Lowenthal voiced one of the main protagonists, or is it pure coincidence?
Greg responds...
Coincidence, since I've never heard of "Gurren Lagann". I named him La'gaan to help try to justify his Lagoon Boy nom-de-guerre.
Kevin writes...
1. What is the difference between a wizard/witch and sorcerer/sorceress in the Young Justice Universe?
2. What is an alchemist in the Young Justice universe?
3. Is it more difficult for a magic user to use nonverbal spells then verbal spells on Earth 16?
4. What type of magic users are Zatanna and Zatara before he become Doctor Fate?
5. What were the main influences in how you decided to portray magic in Gargoyles and Young Justice?
Greg responds...
1. There is none.
2. Someone who practices alchemy.
3. Depends on too many factors to answer cogently.
4. These seem like semantic concerns that I'm not sharing.
5. Mostly logic.
Rachel writes...
Hey Greg,
If M'gann is a white martian, why is Gar green?
Greg responds...
She was green when she transfused him... assuming there's any connection there. ;)
Emma writes...
I've written a letter on my thoughts and opinions on Young Justice and I would love to send it to you and the other writers for the show, but the Cartoon Network website has failed to give me any means of contact and I feel that the letter is a bit more private than to appear publicly on this website. If I have any other options, or if you have an email or website I can send it to, I would appreciate it greatly.
Greg responds...
Other than this forum, I can only suggest you send it by snail mail to
WARNER BROS. ANIMATION
411 N. Hollywood Way
Burbank, CA 91505
United States
hallofjustice writes...
Quick question:
In YJ, what is that black thing Lagoon Boy is wearing on his left foot? Is it some sort of bandage?
Greg responds...
It's the equivalent of a fanny pack.
Anonymous writes...
Hey Greg,
Actually, I don't have a question. I just wanted to commend you on the outstanding job that you've done on Young Justice and Young Justice: Invasion. Please don't let the fanboys and fangirls get to you! Continue to do what you do best--write and produce an excellent animated t.v. show! :D
Greg responds...
Thank you.
Marvelman writes...
Greg, I'm really sorry about how some of the fans have been talking to you on this web-site. I think that world of comics and animation and sci-fi fandom is populated by a lot of misfits who don't seem to fit in anywhere else. For these people, Young Justice is their happy place, and when you mess with their happy place, they get mad. This is especially true of the "shipping" fans. Mess with Wally and Artemis and they'll bite. I'm not excusing it; I've just been pondering the vociferous reaction of some fans to the changes in Young Justice cast. And I have come to the conclusion that these kinds of fans are not going to go away. This psychological make-up is what makes them fans in the first place. If it is any consolation, you and Brandon have managed to create something that people obviously care about.
2) Paula, Artemis' mom, was once a super-villain. Did she fight any current Leaguers? If so, which ones?
3) M'Gann's brain blast which we saw her use in "Image" is a formidable power - especially since most super-villains (or heroes) don't have a defense against that kind of power. Why doesn't she use it more often? Wouldn't it solve a lot of problems?
4) This is a spoiler request, but it's soooo benign... One of your designers drew this great picture of Wally and his mom at his kindergarden graduation but it was not ready in time to be included in "Coldhearted." I wonder if it still might appear on the show at some point?
Greg responds...
1. Thanks. There hasn't been a lot of vitriol - so I'm assuming that the moderators dinged the rude questions/posts as per the guidelines. It's fine to post here with negative feedback if one can do it respectfully.
2a. Yes.
2b. SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT.
3. It's pretty violent and not reliable.
4. It may have. I can't remember.
Psyspir writes...
For some reason my brain has a fascination with Martian culture currently...
1.) Does sarcasm exist on Mars?
2.) Could you please list some other (as in not the one from Images) Martian children games?
3.) Did Miss Martian have any trouble learning to use Terran based tech because her main source of information was outdated?
Greg responds...
1. I'd have to think about that.
2. Ditto.
3. She's a bright kid.
Anonymous writes...
I just read a comment there about shows being leaked on youtube. Not taking away from what you creative guys do but I think a lot of the blame should go to how the industry is structured. Taking Young Justice for example, If you live somewhere like America were Young Justice is screened on tv, catch up service on the Cartoon networks website(probably), available for purchase digitally from Itunes or Amazon or on a region 1 DVD, then there's no excuse. But due to international copyright laws that's not the case for those outside of the US, the show hasn't been made available to purchase in any way.
And it goes both ways. There are popular european tv shows, particularly british shows that US citizens want but can't purchase due to the DVD region system. Or if they can they are expected to wait for two-three years possibly, indefinately. Look at Gargoyles. It's only been partially released in the US, there's been zero releases to the rest of the world.
The best way to discourage piracy, in my opinion, is to make content available universally, so people are actually able to purchase the SAME content at the SAME time. If not through DVDS then digitally. I don't know why the entertainment has such a problem with this?
Greg responds...
I'm very much in favor of entertainment companies making their product available.
Jesse quick writes...
Do you think m'gann and Conner ever had sex during the time they dated,or to a lesser extent ,seen eachother naked?
Ditto for spitfire
Just out of love,not like for "enjoyment" or "fun"
Greg responds...
I think I'm better off professionally if I leave that topic to your imagination.
hallofjustice writes...
Silly question I can think of:
In YJ does Batman, Nightwing, Robin/Tim Drake and Batgirl carry "Shark Repellant Batsprays"?
Greg responds...
Probably not on a regular basis.
(You do know that there's no rule that you HAVE to post a question, right?)
Anonymous writes...
People need to calm down about their but hurt over the time skip, I know for a fact that your a good writer and people need to take a chill pill and wait to see the amazing story that you'll be unfolding.
Will we see the full dynamics of how each new member of the team interacts with each other because this season seems to be more action oriented based on the amazing fluid fighting animation featured in the first episode of Invasion and the general lack of camaraderie between the female members? I'm not complaining about the fantastic fighting choreography I just want to know if they'll be more action or less character development.
How do you come up with the fight sequences in the show? do you consult martial artist for fighters like Robin, Batgirl and Wonder Girl or do you take inspiration from the comic's fight sequences?
Do you keep each character's fighting style's diffrent? With a new Robin in the cave and an the previous one still being active in the team will we see a difference in both of their fighting styles?
In someone in charge of the fighting choreography? If so who is this person and what is his/her name?
Greg responds...
1. Well, I'd like to think we'll have both. I'm not sure how you got a "general lack of camaraderie between the female members" out of what we presented. Seemed to me that Batgirl and Wonder Girl worked together VERY well. But perhaps I'm biased. In any case, as I've stated before, the focus on Season Two is on STORY. Characterization is of course ALWAYS important to us, but you'll have to get it on the fly this season. We've got a BIG story to tell, and fewer episodes and thus less room to dedicate to character study.
2. Neither, I'm afraid. We're all big geeks though, so we have tons of movies, television and comics in our brains. The scripts break down the action, which the storyboards revise and/or plus. Editing helps too.
3. We try to. For example, we constantly remind ourselves that Nightwing began his career as a trapeze artist. Batgirl as a gymnast. While the new Robin started as a martial artist. There are similarities to all three characters' styles - all were trained by Batman, afterall - but we try to give them a slightly different flavor. On the other hand, Artemis' training began with Sportsmaster, but ALL of them trained with Black Canary. So again, we try to nuance differences, but we have justification for similarities as well.
4. There's no one person. Brandon and I pay attention, but I guess the primary responsibility falls to each episode's director and his or her board artists.
Bothergirl writes...
Don't listen to the nasty comments about the time skip. It only made me more curious about the progress of the series. I promise, you won't lose a fan in me;)
Anyway, I haz a question. In the episode 'Auld Acquaintance', why did Red Arrow wanted to know something about Aqualad that he hadn't told anyone else, and how did he know that someone broke his heart? Silly detail, but I like silly details^^
Greg responds...
He wanted to confirm that Aqualad was controlling Aqualad's body. And he knew about Tula because Aqualad had told him.
The irony for me is that Red Arrow didn't understand how the Starro-Tech worked. If Aqualad HAD been possessed, Klarion would have had access to all Aqualad's memories and would still have been able to answer the question.
WAIT A MINUTE!! DOES THAT MEAN AQUALAD IS CURRENTLY POSSESSED BY STARRO-TECH?!!!
No. It doesn't. Red Arrow just got lucky. (The preceding has been some reemptive Ask Greg question answering.)
quigonkenny writes...
Long time listener, first time caller... ^_^ Love the Invasion time skip. It really shakes things up, and while some people may be scared by that, I find this unexpected development to be refreshing in this day and age of cookie cutter cartoon plots. I look forward to seeing how we got from there to here. Now to my questions:
1. Loved Lobo, hope we see more of him, but I couldn't help but think his alien language (Interlac, by the dialog) seemed incredibly familiar. Given that you've mentioned that Invasion will be much more sci-fi than the first season, could it be that you--ah...borrowed...a language from that paragon of sci-fi sagas, the Star Wars movies? Particularly Huttese? If so, how did that come about?
2. Was the "Vlatavastok" mentioned in "Happy New Year" a) related to Vertigo's country of Vlatava, b) a mispronunciation or misspelling of real-world location Vladivostok, or c) an original location meant to reference both of the above?
I had some other questions, but they appear to have already been asked, so I'll have to be patient and wait for them to be answered here or on the show. Thanks again for inserting some much-needed unpredictability back into the cartoon world, and for continuing to run this site amidst the idiocy rampant on the internet.
Greg responds...
1. I didn't. At least not consciously. I just tried to create something that would work without subtitles, but still had it's own internal consistency. And any memories I might have of Huttese are beyond dim. (I do wonder though - if the person speaking Interlac had had a high voice instead of a low voice - if the notion that it resembled Huttese would have even registered. Is it Lobo's guttural quality that raised the comparison, or did I truly coincidentally stumble on something gramatically Hutt-like.)
2a. Yes.
2b. No.
2c. No.
Triela D. writes...
So, if Vandal Savage does not consider himself a villain...does he believe he is a hero of some sort? I know he was a hero in the past, but does he still believe himself to be a hero now? If not, what is he? In the middle?
Thanks! :)
Greg responds...
He thinks of himself as a visionary and a a leader. Heroics don't really enter into it.
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