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The Phoenix Gate

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REVELATIONS 2012-12 (Dec)

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Annonymous writes...

Why do you have to credit the creators of some characters (e.g. Miss Martian, Nightwing, Impulse, Batman) but not others (e.g. Superboy, Artemis, Kid Flash, Rocket, etc.)? What aspect of the legal rights require you to say that Bob Kane created Batman but not that Dwayne McDuffie and Mark Bright created Rocket?

Greg responds...

I really don't know. Our scripts are submitted to DC legal department. They decide who gets creator credits. They tell us. We put those credits in. It's out of our control, else I'd credit everyone.

Response recorded on December 06, 2012

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Arlo writes...

What are the stories of how you and the other writers came up with and developed the ideas for the Phoenix Gate, the Eye of Odin, and the Grimorum Arcanorum?

If you don't have time to post the full details right now, that's okay (I'm even expecting that to be the answer). But would you consider writing a ramble on it at some point? We have rambles and outlines for nearly every episode of the series, but no background on the creative process that went into designing these three talismans. I would love to hear about everything that went into them at some point.

Greg responds...

You're taxing my now-limited memory, but I don't think there's that much to tell. And frankly, I DO think I've told it all before.

The Grimorum was part of the story development for the pilot, even the development of the original series, I suppose, since we knew there would be a spell cast upon the Gargoyles pretty much from Day One. We just ran with it from there. Tried to keep track of it and its spells, etc.

The Phoenix Gate was created as "Vows" was developed as a story. If you look here: http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?rid=131 you can see how it came about. And again, we just ran with it from there.

The Eye of Odin was originally developed by the video game people. We then used a version of that as a maguffin in "The Edge" and as a magical talisman in "Eye of the Beholder" and "Eye of the Storm", etc. I've discussed all this before. Search the archives.

Response recorded on December 06, 2012

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Tyler Reznik writes...

Hello yet again, Mr. Weisman. Today, I'd like to talk about Gargoyles, particularly David Xanatos.

In relation to Xanatos' desire for immortality, I've noticed that, on two seperate occasions, an older, wiser man managed to pierce David's figurative armour through fairly simple methods (the methods themselves being simple, rather than the effect, meaning, or characters being so).

First, Petros, David's father, succeeded in giving his son pause through a few well-chosen words and "a simple American penny". Then, in "The Price", Hudson is able to discern and point out Xanatos' fear of growing old and dying (here, he cracks Xanatos' cool demeanor, but doesn't quite break it), and by the end of the episode, he had managed to escape Xanatos alive, simultaneously posing a question that, like Petros with the penny, gave David pause, and, I think, something to ponder.

Now, my point is that both of the aforementioned characters were, as I said, older and wiser than Xanatos, which makes me think (perhaps incorrectly; you'd know better than I would) that one of Xanatos' flaws is his inability to truly appreciate the values of age and experience, which ties in to his desire to be immortal.

However much he denied it to Hudson, Xanatos IS terrified of growing old and dying. It's something unknowable, uncontrollable, to a point, unpredictable (who knows when and how they're going to die?), and, barring a means of becoming immortal, it's unavoidable. The value of age and experience, as well as the wisdom that comes from it, is something that he, quite simply, does NOT want to learn firsthand. In fact, he even brushes off Hudson's descriptions of the downside to immortality, remarking that death and old age have a price, one too steep for him to pay. It is this unwillingness to accept his own mortality that makes Xanatos vulnerable to the metaphorical defeats he received from Petros and Hudson. The fear of mortality he possesses makes him blind to the wisdom that only comes from the passage, and indeed, the ravages (of which Hudson is all too aware) of time.

1) Do you agree with my assessment of this aspect of Xanatos' personality?

2) Is it possible that as he grows older, Xanatos will learn to appreciate the wisdom that accompanies age?

Whether you agree with my perspective or not, thank you for taking the time to read and respond to my post, and have a good day, sir.

Greg responds...

1. I do. Very much so.

2. SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT.

Response recorded on December 05, 2012

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Taylor writes...

What did Artemis' acceptance letter into Gotham Academy say?

Greg responds...

You know... you could freeze-frame the image on your television set as easily as I could.

Response recorded on December 05, 2012

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guest writes...

1. So far, all members of the Justice League we've seen operate in the United States. Are any members of the Justice League or the Team active outside the United States?

Greg responds...

Your premise is incorrect, but the answer to your question is yes.

Response recorded on December 05, 2012

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Olga writes...

Hello Greg!
I was wondering what's Mal Duncan role on the Team? Thanks for amazing series, it keeps getting better and better!

Greg responds...

It's stated in "Happy New Year". STATED. OUT LOUD. Not to mention, SHOWN (DEMONSTRATED, CLEARLY REVEALED), as well.

Olga, I don't mean to pick on you per se, but FOLKS, please do not come here to ask questions that the show has ALREADY objectively answered. You're just clogging up the queue and slowing things down for everyone.

And apropos of nothing, I've also noticed that sometimes the questions asked seem only to be asked for the sake of having something to ask. Like people are stopping by the site and TRYING to come up with a question that no one else has asked - even if they have no real interest in the answer - just so they can participate in the... "fun". Even if NOBODY could possibly have any real interest in the answer. Please do not do this.

Response recorded on December 05, 2012

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Michael writes...

Hi, Mr. Weissman, I truly, truly love Young Justice as well as the rest of your work. But I had some questions about Young Justice.

1.) When I was watching "Depths" for the first time, the beat with Nightwing looking at the photograph (of himself and Artemis at School) nearly killed me. When Dick took the photograph in "Homefront" was that included in the episode with the intentional purpose of paying it off in that manner? Or was it just an extraneous element that you took advantage of when developing the storyline for season 2?

2.) Was Jason ever a serious contender for the new Robin in season 2? I ask because I recently saw the episode "Darkest" where a building is destroyed in a manner similar to "A Death in the Family". I loved what you guys did, and I don't mean to imply that "it would have been better if you'd done it this way." But I do think it would have added an interesting layer if Jason Todd had been an unintended casualty of that event. Assuming of course that the network would let you do something that extreme in the first place. So was that idea ever discussed?

Greg responds...

1. I knew I wanted to pay it off.

2. No. By the time we got to that level of specifics, we had already decided (long ago actually) that Jason would already be dead and Tim would already be Robin by the start of Season Two.

Response recorded on December 05, 2012

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Triela D. writes...

One question.

You once answered a question asking, "If the Light knew that Black Manta had a son?", and you stated that they did although it was questionable if Klarion remembered or not.

I've noticed in another episode (Misplaced, I think) that Klarion leaves saying "See ya later armadillos" instead of "See ya later crocodile". So my question is, does Klarion have a bad memory? Or what exactly makes him forget?

Love YJ:I so far, I've really come to enjoy it. :)

Greg responds...

It's not so much that he has a bad memory, but Klarion's mind is... chaotic.

Response recorded on December 05, 2012

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Michael writes...

Re: an earlier question: "I know this series is different considering that this is another Earth, but in the comics the scarab was against causing physical harm to living things, even almost getting Jamie killed sometimes."

I don't know what comics they've been reading, but this is 100% incorrect. The scarab in the comics was created to be a killing machine, and is only tempered to non-lethality by Jaime's influence.

For a question of my own:

In the tie-in comics, it is mentioned that Jaime had met Guy Gardner, Peacemaker and Captain Atom prior to joining the Team. His connections to Guy and Peacemaker are references to his original comics, so I was just wondering why you added Captain Atom to the list, rather than continuing the theme with another hero comics!Jaime encountered early in his career, like say Batman?

Greg responds...

It has to do with the (Earth-16) relationship between Nathaniel and Ted. Plus they're both Charlton characters. Really, the guy I wasn't sure about including was Guy, because - unlike Cap and Peacemaker - he's NOT a Charlton character. But I got a good line of dialogue out of it, and it hooked up with the source comics, so...

Response recorded on December 05, 2012

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celestia writes...

Hey Greg! I think you adviced people that wanted to become writters to read great literature and the classics.

Beyond Shakespeare (who is a must read :) ) What kind of literature would you recomend for this purpose?

Greg responds...

Homer, for sure.

Cervantes.

Austin.

Dickens.

Hardy.

Faulkner.

Even Hemingway.

The list of authors are probably endless. Personally, I'm a big fan of mysteries/detective stories, and my favorite author in that genre is Ross Macdonald, who I believe transcends the genre. I also like James M. Cain, Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Michael Connelly and Maj Sjöwall & Per Wahlöö, to name a few.

I'd scarf up myths and legends. Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Norse, Arthurian, etc., etc., etc. And I wouldn't just limit myself to Western Culture. Chow down on the stories of the far east, of the mid-east, of aboriginal peoples everywhere...

Read NEWSPAPERS.

History books. Biographies. Some are deadly dull, but others are fascinating.

Anyway, that should keep you busy for awhile.

Response recorded on December 05, 2012


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