A Station Eight Fan Web Site

Gargoyles

The Phoenix Gate

Ask Greg Archives

VELATIONS 2013-03 (Mar)

Archive Index


: Displaying #1 - #100 of 171 records. : 100 » : Last » :


Posts Per Page: 1 : 10 : 25 : 50 : 100 : All :


Bookmark Link

RAIN OF THE GHOSTS, BOOK ONE UPDATE, Chapters Three - Nine

RAIN OF THE GHOSTS, BOOK ONE UPDATE, Chapters Three - Nine

In my on-going shameless attempt to maintain buzz about my new novel, RAIN OF THE GHOSTS, due out in stores and on-line on December 3rd, 2013 (but available for pre-order NOW on Amazon, etc.), I'm updating you on my progress proofreading the proofs of the book. (Yes, it's ridiculous, but I did use the word 'shameless' now, didn't I?)

This is a painstaking process. I'm going through each chapter sentence by sentence, trying to be careful with each word, each punctuation point.
Today, I finished proofing Chapters Three through Nine.

Here are the only changes I've indicated so far (including those from the work I did yesterday on the Acknowledgments and Chapters One and Two):

P. vii (Acknowledgments Page)
Paragraph 2 - "Ber-nstein" should not be hyphenated between r and n.

P. viii (Acknowledgments Page)
First full paragraph - Removed comma before "too."

Chapter One
P. 1
Paragraph 1 - Change "." at end of paragraph to "?".

P. 8
Within dialogue, shouldn't this read "'Local Color'" with single quotation marks and normal upper and lower case? Or maybe just put Local Color in italics?

P. 24
In last paragraph, change "eighty" to "ninety".

P. 29
In first full paragraph, change "window" to "windows".

P. 32
In first partial paragraph, remove the comma after "cereal".

P. 62
In second to last paragraph, capitalize the T and W in "Tall Woman".

Admit it. You're intrigued.


Bookmark Link

WONDERCON & ASK GREG LIVE

I'm declaring ASK GREG LIVE at WonderCon a success!!

We had about twenty or so people show up (including Masterdramon and Blaise). It was informal, fun (for me, at least) and, hopefully, informative. As expected, we mostly talked about YOUNG JUSTICE, but there were also questions about GARGOYLES and THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN and how to break into the business, etc. So it was a nice Ask Greg-ish mix.

Someone said they were waiting for me to say "SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT." And I really did mean to say it, but I'm not sure that I ever really did. I don't think I spoiled very much, but I definitely revealed a couple things that I'm fairly confident I would not have revealed here on the website. I guess seeing the in-person faces of the fans melts me - at least a little.

I wasn't sure how many people would show up, so I had no idea how long it would run, but I had figured on about an hour. But we stood there - no sitting allowed in the Anaheim Convention Center Lobby - for over an hour and a half, and the time just raced by. (Special thanks to Matthew for holding up the ASK GREG LIVE sign for nearly the entire event.) At the end, we took a few photos, and I did an impromptu signing for anyone who had something they wanted signed. (Hadn't planned on that either, so I didn't have a pen. So thanks also to those who loaned me their sharpies!)

If you were there, I invite you to post about it here at ASK GREG tomorrow (i.e. Sunday, March 31st, 2013) or at the Station 8 Comment Room anytime next week. (I'll be stopping by to see what folks thought.) It's something I'd like to think about doing again. Perhaps at Denver Comic-Con or maybe even at San Diego Comic-Con (though that venue would present some MAJOR challenges). So even if you weren't able to attend, let me know if you'd like to see it happen again.


Bookmark Link

RAIN OF THE GHOSTS, BOOK ONE UPDATE

RAIN OF THE GHOSTS, BOOK ONE UPDATE

Yesterday, while I was at WonderCon (more on that shortly), a package came in the mail from St. Martin's Press. It's "the first pass page proofs for [my first] book, RAIN OF THE GHOSTS..."

In my on-going shameless attempt to maintain buzz about this new novel, due out in stores and on-line on December 3rd, 2013 (but available for pre-order NOW on Amazon, etc.), I'm going to update you on my progress proofreading these proofs. (Yes, it's ridiculous, but I did use the word 'shameless' now, didn't I?)

This is a painstaking process. I'm going through each chapter sentence by sentence, trying to be careful with each word, each punctuation point.

Tonight, I finished proofing the Dedication, Acknowledgments and Chapters One and Two. I'll keep you posted this week, as I proceed.

Now, since it's only midnight, I'm going back to go back to work on Chapter Seven of the second book in the Rain series.

Or I will, right after my next ramble.


Bookmark Link

WONDERCON ANAHEIM - ASK GREG LIVE

WONDERCON ANAHEIM - ASK GREG LIVE

Okay, once again, I will be attending WonderCon on Friday, March 29th:

http://www.comic-con.org/wca

I'm not on a panel or anything official. I'm just going to look around, hang out, etc. But ASK GREG moderator Masterdramon is also going, and we thought it might be fun to organize a semi-impromptu ASK GREG LIVE event. I assume most folks would want to talk about Young Justice, which is great. But we can also discuss Gargoyles or the weather or whatever. Chris Jones and I did something similar a few weeks ago at a Doctor Who convention, and we had fun. I think about twenty or so fans showed, which was a nice number. We might wind up with a few more or less. Or, heck, maybe it'll just be me and Masterdramon, which is okay too. EIther way, we want to try to keep the thing unofficial, informal, casual, etc.

I was hoping someone would come up with a brilliant plan for where to meet, but that never happened. So here's my LESS-than-brilliant plan:

Meet up at ONE P.M. on Friday, March 29th in the LOBBY of HALL B, BETWEEN THE TWO SETS OF DOORS. Here's a map:

http://issuu.com/comic-con/docs/wca2013_quickguide_web?mode=window

On that map, we'll be more or less directly beneath where the Graphitti Designs booth is in Hall B, but in the LOBBY. (Hopefully, that makes sense to everyone.)

If you need to know what I look like these days, you can see my somewhat pudgy self on this YouTube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rl4eL0YKtO8

At WonderCon, I'll be wearing my black YOUNG JUSTICE Hot Topic T-shirt. (And if it's cold, I'll be wearing a grey TULANE hoodie sweatshirt over that t-shirt.)

Hope to see at least a few of you there.


Bookmark Link

RAIN OF THE GHOSTS, BOOK TWO COUNTDOWN, Chapter Six

RAIN OF THE GHOSTS, BOOK TWO COUNTDOWN, Chapter Six

In my on-going shameless attempt to maintain buzz about my new novel, RAIN OF THE GHOSTS, due out in stores and on-line on December 3rd, 2013 (but available for pre-order NOW on Amazon, etc.), I've decided to countdown my progress on writing the SECOND book in the Rain franchise.

I just finished writing Chapter Six. Sort of. That is, I realized that I need to split Six into two chapters, i.e. Six and Seven. And I'm done with the new Six. But I still have to finish the old Six, i.e. tomorrow I need to write the new Seven. When that's done, I'll need to write the old Seven, which is now the new Eight.

Aren't you glad you asked?

("But, Mister, I didn't ask!" "Quiet, kid. You bother me.")


Bookmark Link

RAIN OF THE GHOSTS, BOOK TWO COUNTDOWN, Chapter Five

RAIN OF THE GHOSTS, BOOK TWO COUNTDOWN, Chapter Five

In my on-going shameless attempt to maintain some sort of conversation about my new novel, RAIN OF THE GHOSTS, due out in stores and on-line on December 3rd, 2013 (but available for pre-order NOW on Amazon, etc.), I've decided to countdown my progress on writing the SECOND book in the Rain franchise.

I finished Chapter Five about five minutes ago. (This was a fun one to write.)

I'll let you know when I finish Chapter Six. Admit it, you're on the edge of your seat.


Bookmark Link

riley writes...

1. Why does Tim only get a few lines per episode?

2. Is Gar able to form other humanoid hybrids such as his monkey/human form?

3. What is abilities does the monkey/human form grant gar?

4. Sense gar knew of the poison sumac. What knowledge does gar have over plant species?

Greg responds...

1. He was a supporting character.

2. No.

3. What you see is what you get.

4. Gar is interested in the natural world, so he studies. But it's not like it's a super-power.

Response recorded on March 23, 2013

Bookmark Link

ArctheFlash writes...

Dear Greg Weisman,

Firstly, thank you for taking the time to answer these questions. I actually prefer a "SPOILER REQUEST, NO COMMENT" to nothingness and apathy in general.

2ndly, thank you and the team for this show! Love the story-driven dynamic direction and constant emotional roller coaster that ensues with every episode.

Artemis and Wally: best relationship in the show/DC universe
Jade n CloneRoy: extremely close second
Miss M and Supey: Glad they broke up.

But enough fan-girling, my big questions actually regard the Flash family:

Did Barry Allen have any influence on Wally's (and Artemis') decision to leave the hero "life" behind?

Was Barry always a study science over speed kind of guy?

I may be wrong but didn't Barry disapprove of Wally gaining super speed powers in the beginning and is he happy that he's left the life?

Can Wally get "out of shape" speed-wise since hes at college and does that effect his acceleration or top-speed in any way?

That is all. Thank you for your time!

Greg responds...

1. Not directly, no.

2. Basically.

3. Barry wasn't looking for a sidekick and initially accepted Wally out of guilt when Wally nearly blew himself up getting his powers. But Barry came to appreciate Kid Flash with time. On the other hand, I'm sure he appreciated Wally and Artemis' decision.

4. I don't think he's let himself go but theoretically yes.

Response recorded on March 23, 2013

Bookmark Link

Ittybittyartemis113 writes...

I read in another post about a Young Justice game. What is this game and when will it come out? Also, where can I buy this game once it comes out or if it is already out? Thank you!

Greg responds...

Young Justice Legacy will be out in September and for sale, I assume wherever video games. Are sold.

Response recorded on March 23, 2013

Bookmark Link

Candice writes...

Hi Greg, I love Young Justice and just had a couple questions about M'gann's family relationships:
1) Does she keep in touch with her family back on Mars?
2) Does she or Martian Manhunter go back to visit them on Mars?
3) Are they proud of what she's doing on Earth?

Greg responds...

1. No.

2. SPOILER RESPONSE.

3. Your question assumes they know.

Response recorded on March 23, 2013

Bookmark Link

Anonymous writes...

In "Earthlings" was Miss Martian eavesdropping on Superboy and Alanna? If so, why was she so happy about afterwards?

Greg responds...

No. She was mostly just happy to be with Garfield.

Response recorded on March 23, 2013

Bookmark Link

Anonymous writes...

I absolutely love Young Justice and it inspired me to write an outline for an animated series.

Hopefully you can answer this but I was wondering since my idea involves dc comics characters, what steps do I need to take to try and get the idea out there? I'm assuming I'd have to get permission from dc comics first.

Greg responds...

Yes.

Response recorded on March 23, 2013

Bookmark Link

Jordan writes...

Hey Greg! I know you personally don't have much say in this, but don't you think Netflix (streaming) would be a perfect home for the run of Gargoyles? Netflix is finally starting to put tons of Disney stuff up, and being that Gargoyles run was never finished on DVD...

Anyway, just an idea if anyone should happen to ever bring it up to you! I think it would find a lot of new fans on netflix, just like a lot of other cult TV shows.

Greg responds...

I get no say, but I'm all for anything that legitimately gets the episodes out there.

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

J writes...

You mentioned before that the main reason for the lack of women in the Leauge was primarily due to lack of source material, ie. not many female Leaugers to choose from...but what about Vixen, Gipsi, Dr. Light, Fire and Ice, who are all established Leaugers through many incarnations, much more so than Rocket (which is not to say that I dont enjoy Rocket in the show, because I definatley do).
Were these charicters not considered? Just not fit into your timeline? Some other reason?
If any were simply never considered, why not?
It seems that not including any of them is a missed opportunity for diversity on multiple levels.

Greg responds...

We wanted to begin in Season One with a League that was both highly iconic and quite powerful.

After that, we had plans for some of the members you named.

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

Kaitlyn writes...

Did you have to pitch up Logan Grove's voice when recording for the Legacy game, especially since Beast Boy is supposed to be younger in Legacy than he is in the second season itself?

Greg responds...

Nope.

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

Anonymous writes...

When Josh Keaton recorded his bit for Black Spider, who else was in the studio?
Are there "secret" recordings you guys try to keep under wraps?

Greg responds...

1. I don't remember.

2. Huh?

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

jS-2814 writes...

How was Jaime able to visualize Black Beetle as his future self?-after all unless the Scarab was projecting it to him ou can't see a flashback in universe.

Greg responds...

Okay, first off, he was not visualizing Black Beetle at all. He was imagining/visualizing a version of himself based on what Impulse was describing. Keep in mind, Jaime's first "vision" was a memory; the second was a nightmare, and the third was a fantasy based on Bart's narration.

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

jS-2814 writes...

How was Roy able to fight Mercy-a cyborg so evenly in Satisfaction-despite missing an arm and only recently being unfrozen after 8 years of stasis, did the cryogenics keep him in the physically fit condition he was frozen in?
2-Why did Cadmus have to cut his whole arm of?-I get they were perfecting the cloning process but even a few cells have billions of DNA strands they could have used.
3-I'm curious Black Beetle comes of as an arrogant,smug jerk with contempt for "meat" so why did he save Shimmer?

Greg responds...

1. You saw what you saw. If it doesn't work for you, I'm not sure what to tell you.

2. ASKED AND ANSWERED.

3. Shimmer was on his team. Why wouldn't he save her?

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

Anon Archer writes...

Does Superboy like pie? What's his favourite type of pie? I know this is ASKED AND ANSWERED but your answer was he hadn't tried it yet. After about 6 years, what's the deal.

2) What's Superman's favourite type of pie

3) What's Lex Luthor's favourite type of pie

4) Inside the show itself, what is the reason thst after almost 6 years the team still doesn't have a name.
Also, your show is good. Seriously

Greg responds...

1. I'm sure he likes all kinds of pie. But it's hard to top Ma Kent's apple-berry pie.

2. Apple.

3. Apricot.

4. That IS the name.

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

Anonymous writes...

If Young Justice has not been renewed for a third season, what have you been up to lately?

Also, how excited are you for the new Young Justice video game?

Greg responds...

1. I've just recently gone through all this. Check the archives.

2. Very.

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

Anonymous writes...

How long did it take for her teammates to learn that Artemis was Artemis' real name?

Greg responds...

Depends which teammate you're talking about.

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

kenzey818 writes...

Dear Mr. Weisman,
In reading Ask Greg and other forums, I've noticed a lot of bashing of many plot points in Young Justice. So instead of any bashing or questions (since it might be a while till you'll get to see this and I'll get my answers by watching the show :D) you're getting a heaping helping of praise:
First off Superman: When Season 1 started a lot people bashed his portrayal and avoidance of Superboy. But I loved it. To me it felt realistic and honest. I'd feel violated and uncomfortable if I found out someone had cloned my awesomeness. When Supes did accept SB at the end of Auld Acquaintance I cheered and it brought a tear to my. People bash Supes all the time for being "too perfect" but here was a real portrayal of imperfection and humanity. I was especially excited when we saw the team up between Supes and SB in alienated and the good-bye was very touching, and then when it came out in the comic that Clark made an effort to get to know Connor as a person and not a clone my heart soared. So beautiful and sweet!
And now something I'll admit I had some issues with: The Time Skip. But not for most of the reasons I've been reading from others. I wanted to see more of the relationship develop between the Supers, and see them kick Luthor's butt :) however I've been a fan of yours way back to Gargoyles (which is still one of my all time favorites) to know there is a reason for everything you do, even if I don't know why. One thing I love about your productions is the cohesiveness of it, the stories don't change and don't go back on their founding principles. In rewatching the first season of Young Justice I realized if I had missed an episode I could've been lost as to whats going on. Even the littlest thing you don't expect is connected has something to do with the overall story. Thank you so much for a beautifully written and gorgeously animated show. In age when it seems some companies are dumbing stuff down I love the H.G Wells references and the respect you treat you audiences intelligence with, whether they be children or adults like me. Thank you again to you and your wonderful staff! Keep up the amazing work you've found a fan for life :)

Greg responds...

Thank you. Although I will say I don't agree that you need to have seen every episode to get or appreciate our series. Sure, it ADDS VALUE the more you consume (show, comic and video game included), but you should be able to tune in to any individual episode and enjoy the yarn that's on screen. I do sometimes worry that the PERCEPTION that that was not the case might have kept people away. But if they had tuned in at any point, I like to think they would have been hooked. And then AFTER THE FACT, they could go back and watch any episodes they missed, while simultaneously continuing to view the new stuff as it appeared.

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

guy writes...

who is aquaman parents?

Greg responds...

Who ARE Aquaman's parents?

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

Kenzen writes...

A) Why did you decided to include Jason in Young Justice, any specific reason?

B) Are you afraid of any time paradoxes that might come up with Impulse?

(A small add on of my opinion but the question above is all I am asking about) Say for example the vent or what have you that destroys the future doesn't happen or is changed, by most time travel logic Impulse would just vanish from Team Year Five, but I would imagine for story should that happen you would want a goodbye or something loose ends are what fandoms cringe and theorize at.

C a) For Garfield he lives in a timeline with pandas, could he transform into a panda or would he need to have physical contact a panda?
C b) Should he need touch, would say a stuffed Dodo or dodo skeleton work for an image form him to shapeshift into?

Also should he need touch did he have to touch an alligator and gorilla to be able to shapeshift or again just same time and sight of panda.

D) Any characters you really want in the show but you haven't been able to fit them in?

Trying to make my questions vague not really working soory if they have a confusing level to them.

Greg responds...

A. He was part of the history.

B. No. It's not my favorite type of time travel story, but it works for me here. I've gone into detail about it previously. Check the archives.

C a. Who says he hasn't had contact with a panda?

C b. No.

C c. It's got to be more than just a view from afar. But it's more complicated than just touching an animal. It has to do with his origin, of which you've only seen a fraction.

D. Yes.

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

FallenLegend writes...

Hey Greg I just wanted to ask you if you have ever thought on finishing writing all your stories in case you never got to finish them in your life time?.

I don't want to be pessimistic. But just like Moses wasn't able to be on the promised land...

I recall Tolkien had the same issue with his unfinished tales. It would be cool if you at least considered finishing gargoyles. Many of your fans would be grateful if we got to know the full story :)

Greg responds...

I'm not sure what you mean by "finishing"...? I mean, just for starters, what medium are you referring to? It's not like I can just magically whip up some cartoons for ya.

But (1) let's start with this notion: it can't be done. Because my mind doesn't work that way. No matter how much I wrote on Gargoyles or Young Justice or SpecSpidey or WITCH or whatever, those stories and those characters would simply inspire new stories and yet more characters. To me, the universe (any universe) doesn't come to an end, so how could I ever bring any of theses sagas to an end?

(2) I gotta earn a living, pal. I don't own Gargoyles. For me to spend unpaid time writing stories that I can never publish, is, I hate to say it, even dopier than a doing post-production on a series for free. And there are limits to even my dopiness.

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

Jack-Pumpkinhead writes...

Dear Greg,

HUZZAH on YJ's return! And what an episode. First off, nice job on The Reach, I was really into that Blue Beetle comic's first run and I enjoyed The Reach. So thanks a lot. And Beetle himself, wow! This is gonna get good for him. As for Megan, I knew that eventually her more forceful mind tricks would come back to bite her, and wow. I mean, poor Kaldur, I sincerely hope the effects are temporary. And again, more Godfrey! I love this man, he is so funny.
My question is this; the blonde girl we saw in Star City. Was that Cissie?

Greg responds...

Uh... I think you're talking about Stephanie Brown, but I'm not sure.

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

Greg Bishansky writes...

One aspect that I always liked about "Gargoyles" was that most of the individual characters had someone they considered their own personal nemesis.

Brooklyn had Demona (but I doubt she thought enough about him to feel the same, her focus was always on Goliath). Lexington had the Pack (though, again, I doubt they gave him as much thought as again, Goliath). Broadway had Dracon (again, I tend to think Dracon gave Goliath more thought, and especially Elisa).

Actually, while writing this post, it just occurred to me that these people the trio despised probably didn't give them individually all that much thought... kind of says something about how the futility of holding such contempt for someone, only for that other person to probably not spend all that much time thinking about you. See, I love "Gargoyles," I'm always seeing things in new ways.

But I guess what I was originally going to ask, before my little revelation there was this. Did you have any rivalries like that planned with the Redemption Squad?

For Hunter, Demona or John Castaway being her personal nemesis seems like a given. Though I wouldn't be surprised if we get a new character there. Dingo seems to have Falstaff for that role, especially if he ever discovers how his mother died.

Yama, Fang and especially Matrix are harder to pin down for this. I suppose for Yama it could be Taro, but I'm not sure... he seems to blame himself for what he did rather than Taro. Fang doesn't seem to hold any real ill will towards Sevarius. And Matrix doesn't even have emotions and can't take things personally.

Greg responds...

Of course, the ultimate example of what you describe in your third paragraph is with Gillecomgain. He's obsessed for years over the gargoyle that scarred him. And when Demona sees his face, she has absolutely no memory of the incident.

As for the Bad Guys characters, things would evolve in the fullness of time.

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

Donna writes...

hi!
Is it a possibility that you can make a comic out of the Steam Lantern storyline/Universe?

Greg responds...

Me? The YJ guy? Um. I suppose anything's possible, but (a) that wasn't my story or my series, so (b) I have no connection to it other than being a viewer who enjoyed that particular episode of GLTAS, which suggests that (c) I wouldn't be the guy to pitch it to DC, and in any case (d) it's not at all up to me.

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

A Flash Fan writes...

And going back to Gargoyles and YJ, I noticed your secret connection with Celebrity Hockey (Hudson's favorite show). I thought that was pretty cool. I like how you use mirroring, foil characters, connections, irony, all that good stuff on your shows. Like in "Cloud Fathers" Coyote (the spirit) pulled a stunt on Coyote (the Xanatos robot) which was very similar to Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, and Superboy pulling on Blockbuster in "Fireworks". I also see you said once that the Light was perhaps influenced by the Illuminati in Gargoyles, but not directly, so I wanted to know if there are any other hidden connections between YJ and Gargoyles and if so what are they?

Thanks a lot Greg. Like I said before, I appreciate how you're willing to talk with your fans and I think this website and your work is really great!

Greg responds...

There are probably a ton. You can chalk up some of them to my sincere lack of imagination. But others are quite intentionally used as fan-service, particularly to Gargoyles fans, who have been beyond ridiculously loyal to me for over a decade. And often it's just for my own personal amusement. Trust me, if I could have figured out a way to put some version of the line "You beat up a beach!" into Young Justice, I would have.

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

A Flash Fan writes...

While on the topic of CGI, do you prefer this method or the classic hand drawings for animation and why? I know your series have mostly been all drawings (I think) but wanted to see.

Greg responds...

I don't have a preference if the series is developed correctly for the medium it's using. I did Roughnecks: the Starship Troopers Chronicles in CGI, and I think it worked great. I did Max Steel (Season One only), and although I'm proud of our scripts, I DON'T think it worked great, because the series as it was developed (by me but under marching orders from multiple very large companies) didn't work in CGI.

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

A Flash Fan writes...

These 2 are related...

1. While on the topic of inspirations I have a question about your series Gargoyles. When it originally came out I really don't remember it because I was really young, but I did always know of its existence. When I learned that you, who are producer of YJ, also created Gargoyles I was motivated to watch the series and I am doing so know (soon I hope to see SSM too!). It is very interesting and I really like your character portrayals and interesting plots. Now the question I have about inspiration is did you derive anything of Gargoyles from the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series, and if so what? I apologize if the question seems strange, but I notice how both series were produced in the close time frames, they both take place in NYC, and in essence both show are about groups of outcasts by society who in turn fight crime. I think what merely stood out for me is that when I see Elisa Maza and her friendship with the gargoyles it kind of reminds me of April O'Neil and the turtles. Besides there are mutants in both series, most cool stuff happens by night (for the turtles so they won't be seen); Gargoyles because they don't have a choice, etc. Anyway these are the similarities I see and I just wanted your opinion on them.

2. While on the topic of the TMNT, have you seen the new CGI series, and if so what do you think? I think it's a cool adaptation.

Greg responds...

1. Not so much, because as you say, both were being produced at more or less the same time. There may have been some influence in little things, like when we started saying Jalapeña all the time - though the origin of that (as discussed elsewhere) was nevertheless very different. And I won't deny the two series have things in common. But just as often we tried to AVOID having things in common with Turtles. If the series started to veer in that direction, there were plenty of people (Frank Paur, especially) who would make sure to course correct.

2. I haven't seen it - or, frankly, most any version of TMNT. That's not meant as a critical comment. I just haven't had the opportunity.

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

A Flash Fan writes...

Hello Greg,

My post got deleted, don't know why so I am trying to separate the questions from my post. Thanks for you time.

Here are the Flash questions/comments I promised, mainly centered on Barry Allen.

Your portrayal of the Barry Allen persona to me does not seem like the one I am familiar with in his appearances in the comics, from the Silver Age to his death on Crisis on Infinite Earths and even after his resurrection and into the New 52. To me he always seemed a calm and collective police scientist who had somewhat of Superman's persona in the pursuit of justice. Your version to me seems more like the Wally West persona, especially similar to the Justice League and JLU series of Bruce Timm. He seems more willing to joke around, his outbursts in the first episode of YJ, and his over-eagerness of the present in Mount Justice in the tie-in comic book are just some examples that lead me to this conclusion. So mainly I wanted to know where you drew inspiration for Barry Allen the Flash please. Please understand that I am not criticizing you; you're the creator and you have every right to adapt characters as you seem fit, but it has somewhat bugged me throughout the series. I am happy with the other Flashes though, and glad Kid Flash finally gets some spotlight in an animated series, plus "Bloodlines" was one of the greatest episodes ever!

Greg responds...

A lot of decisions are, I suppose, relativistic. That is, I can't have sixteen Justice Leaguers running around, all with the same intense, focused, personality. So I may take a kernel of something that I see in a character's LOOOONNNNNNGGGG history and develop that into something we can hang our hats (or cowls) upon.

For Barry, I think it's VERY safe to say that the Wally West of JL and JLU had pretty much NO influence on us. Cuz, you know, we were doing WALLY in the show too.

But Cary Bates, who wrote a huge chunk of Barry's adventures before Crisis on Infinite Earths, is one of my best friends, and he always made Barry a little goofy. A little bit of the boy scout, who still had that Flash fanboy in him, i.e. the guy who was inspired by Jay Garrick. We made that literal in our series... and we extended it into his personality. He likes catchphrases, even if he knows they make his wife and friends groan. He's a goody-two shoes and a happily married man and a scientist and a forensics expert and generally this slow, methodical but deeply honest guy, who likes his life and so is pretty at ease with his own sappiness.

He's NOT a smart-ass, which of course, Wally can be at times. And personally I don't think we portrayed him AT ALL like Wally.

But it's out there. If that's what you saw, we'll just have to agree to disagree.

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

Anonymous writes...

I noticed that Mera and Kaldur have different glowing tattoos: Mera has octopus tentacle tattoos and Kaldur has eel ones. Why is that so? And what kind of tattoos do Tula and Garth have?

Greg responds...

Let's start by saying that the word 'tattoo' is convenient, but not technically correct. These are mystic cryptograms or whatever, and they're only permanent until they are replaced. And, as I think I've said before, a more experienced sorcerer can sublimate the markings so that they're only visible when in use.

Kaldur reached a certain level within a certain specialty. Tula advanced beyond him but in basically the same specialty. Garth has a different specialty, but is more advanced than either of them. Mera, is more advanced than any of her students - at least in Season One.

Certain markings are totemic. Others relate more specifically to the powers.

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

omondieu writes...

How are names chosen for members of the London Clan if the young are raised communally? Do the youngsters choose their own names when they grow older? Does each member of the clan choose a hatchling to name? Is there a gargoyle whose job it is to give every hatchling a name?

Greg responds...

There's this hat...

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

colton writes...

this has bothered me for a while,but in in drop-zone when the team is switching to their stealth tech(except for robin and superboy,aqualad was absent at the time)but when kid flash says "not to late to try on the new stealth tech"

does that mean they had already prepared conner a super-uniform,similar to superman's,with the stealth tech?as far as i understand is that is the first the team or the league has heard about his no-tights policy.

Greg responds...

It was not the first time they'd heard about it, so, yes, they had a uniform prepped. It wasn't a replica of Superman's, but it wasn't the <ahem> casual wear that our Superboy favors either. (And don't ask me what it looked like exactly. I don't know. Since we never showed it, it was never designed.) And it had stealth-tech.

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

AhhGoodTimes writes...

Hal Jordan, John Stewart, and Guy Gardner are Green Lanterns of Sector 2814. This includes Mars. Do you have anything to say about the Green Lanterns' relationship, if any, with Mars? Such as whether the Green Lanterns have visited Mars or whether the Martians are aware of the Green Lantern Corps? Just something I've been thinking about since in Young Justice, the Martian civilization is alive unlike in the comics. Thank you in advance!

Greg responds...

First off, a slight correction: Hal, John and Guy are Green Lanterns FROM Sector 2814. You don't know what their respective assignments are.

We do indeed have thoughts about Green Lanterns and Martians. Some of this would have been dealt with in the comic (either the YJ:I comic that was cancelled or the Earth-16 comic that we pitched but was not picked up) and/or in Season Three (which was also not picked up).

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

Esteban writes...

Hey again Greg, I have another question for you

How do gargoyles view homosexuality? More specifically the Manhattan clan sense Lexington is confirmed to be homosexual, but knowing about the other gargoyles would be nice too.

Thanks Greg, I wish Peter David the best and I'll see if I can help.

Greg responds...

As for Peter, I'll thank you on his behalf.

As for your question, I'm afraid it's been ASKED AND ANSWERED over and over again. Please check the ASK GREG Archives under either "Lexington" or "Gargoyle Customs" or both.

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

wouldn't you like to know.. writes...

in the episode "before the dawn" of young justice invasion, i noticed that batgirl/Barbara wasn't wearing anything to hide her identity from the teens who they were going to rescue. would it be because she thought the teens wouldn't have time to look at her much while trying to escape the REACH or does she not care about secret identities.

Greg responds...

Who is Barbara Gordon that anyone would recognize her? She's NOT a celebrity. Nor is she the ward of a famous millionaire.

It's like that time that someone pulled off Spider-Man's mask... and had no idea who Peter Parker was. Not everyone is famous.

I mean, how do you think Clark Kent gets away with it? ;)

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

Anonymous writes...

is it true that there's a possibility of there not being a 3rd season because it would be too expensive? because i've heard that young justice uses the best special effects and animation, so it would be impossible to get another season :( please dont let it be so!

Greg responds...

Cost is a factor, but I don't think it's because we're TOO expensive. I think they're just ready to take a shot at something else that they perceive will be more valuable overall.

It doesn't help that our toy line was cancelled, since that's where the majority of our funding came from.

Anyway, as I've said ad nauseum, none of this is up to me.

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

Anonymous Writes writes...

Why the Justice League was keeping Serects to the Young Justice?

Greg responds...

I'm sorry, I do not understand this question.

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

Anonymous Writes writes...

The Team and League has a lot of Secrets?

Greg responds...

Yes.

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

Paul writes...

I've been wondering about Superboy's "If you guys hadn't rescued me from Cadmus..." line in "Auld Acquaintance". What was he getting at? I'm not sure I took the right meaning from it, but was it that if he hadn't been rescued, he would've been used to replace Superman like Speedy was replaced?

Greg responds...

No, if he hadn't been rescued, he would have been fully programmed and used in potentially the same way the Roy clone was.

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

Nori writes...

Does Cheshire actually care about Roy, or does she just want him back around because of the baby? In any universe, their relationship is decidedly confusing.

Greg responds...

Of course, she cares about him.

And it's only confusing because you've missed huge chunks of it. ;)

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

RAIN OF THE GHOSTS, BOOK TWO COUNTDOWN, Chapter 4

RAIN OF THE GHOSTS, BOOK TWO COUNTDOWN, Chapter Four

In a shameless attempt to maintain some sort of conversation about my new novel, RAIN OF THE GHOSTS, due out in stores and on-line on December 3rd, 2013 (but available for pre-order NOW on Amazon, etc.), I've decided to countdown my progress on writing the SECOND book in the Rain franchise.

I finished Chapter Four about an hour ago. (This one kicked my ass for some reason.)

I'll let you know when I finish Chapter Five. Because, nothing could be more fascinating, right? Right?


Bookmark Link

DanM writes...

Hello there Greg (you don't mind me calling you Greg, do you?), how you've been?
Well I hope you have been doing well, and working hard on YJ for us fans.
So let me introduce myself, my name is Daniel I'm from Brasil and I LOVE the YJ tv show. As for the comic book, still I haven't had the chance to check it out. But I cannot see why it wouldn't be as great as the animation.
Anyways… with the recent CN's actions and the future listing of DC's solicitations, a lot of speculations have surfaced the web. Do those same speculations harm you or the crew in any way? Note that I don't mean it physically, I mean carrerwise (e.g. the mood in the work environment, the relationship with the bosses… that kind of thing?).
Have you ever thought about, or did in fact pitch in an Earth 16 title for the DC's New 52 (such as the Earth 2 title)? If not, how about it? I imagine that great things would come out of it. :) And what about novels? That would certainly be interesting!!

Greg responds...

I'm not sure what speculations you're referring to. But...

ANYWAY, I suppose this is as good an excuse as any to go through a bit of a chronology.

We finished the scripts for Invasion in January of 2012. So that's when I stopped getting paid, because although I'm a producer on the series, that title and even the responsibilities that go with it were, in essence, a courtesy, based on my experience, I guess. With a guy as talented and competent as Brandon on the job, Warners didn't feel any need to pay me to do the post-production on YJ. They had no problem with me participating, but they also had no problem with me walking away. (Same with Season One, by the way.) (And it was the same at Sony vis-a-vis The Spectacular Spider-Man. In animation, writers often aren't valued all that much once the script process is completed. From the point of view of these companies, I was really just a story editor with a glorified title, who was willing to do what he had to do in order to make the title real and NOT glorified.)

On one level, I probably should have walked away. But instead, I worked for free, helping to post the episodes with Brandon from January to October of 2012. Simultaneously - because I do need to earn a living - I did a number of freelance scripts for various series, including one for Warners' Beware the Batman, plus a Transformers Prime, a couple of Kaijudos, a couple Rescue Bots and a couple of Octonauts. Plus, there was the YJ comic, a few miscellaneous things, and I was also working on revising my first novel, Rain of the Ghosts. Oh, and Brandon and I were also giving free input on Legacy, as well. So I was plenty busy.

In October of 2012, we finished posting episode 220, "Endgame", and on Halloween I moved out of my office on the Warner Bros. Ranch and moved back to my old office in Beverly Hills. By that time, I was done with the comic as well.

During that period, Brandon and I (both separately and together) pitched all sorts of further Earth-16 properties, including (but not limited to) a third season (of course), animated spin-offs featuring Arsenal and/or the Arrow Family, a comic book entitled Earth-16, the Black Manta Celebrity Hot Tub shorts, a direct to DVD movie, etc. Brandon even pitched a YJ meets Scooby movie. Unfortunately, none of these were in the cards.

I'd love to say differently. I'd even love to say I've moved on, but I haven't really. Like many of the fans, I'm still mourning the whole thing, quite a bit. Perhaps even quite a bit more than is healthy. And - because I do need to earn a living - I'm still looking for both freelance work and my next solid gig. (It's been fourteen months without a real job, and it's starting to get a bit nerve-wracking, to be perfectly honest.) But Rain is coming out in December, and I'm hard at work on its sequel. They've both been very rewarding to work on, at least emotionally. (We'll have to wait and see if they turn out to be rewarding financially - but at least the potential upside is there.)

I'd happily do a YJ Novel, but like anything YJ related, it's just not up to me. It's just not a property I control AT ALL.

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

Anonymous writes...

Are there fans who do not believe Lexington is gay?
I honestly believe he is not gay.

Greg responds...

I guess you answered your own question. Or are you not a fan?

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

Paul writes...

How old was Aquagirl when she died?

Greg responds...

SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT.

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

Alante C. writes...

Hi Greg! firstly, i just want to say thank you for always putting out great episodes of young justice and also making classics like Gargoyles.

but to my question. i became aware that you and Denys Cowan pitched an Icon and Rocket series(form a previous answer you gave) back in the late 90's to Dreamworks.

1.Could you tell us more that series?
2.How did you two begin to collaborate on that idea?
3.If you remember what was the general premise?
4.Why do you personally think it wasn't picked up?
5.This really isn't a question but if there is anymore information about it id love to hear, i just love the idea.
6.This is off topic but what process do you go through to think of stories for episodes of young justice?

Greg responds...

1. Not really, mostly because it was SO long ago, I don't remember very much. But it was the basic Rocket/Icon dynamic.

2. Geez. Um. I wanna say Denys probably brought the notion to me, but I was already a fan of both characters. But, again, it was a LONG time ago.

3. See above.

4. Don't know. I remember we pitched it to Nickolodeon in New York, along with about ten other ideas or so. Nick bought two of my pitches, Rain of the Ghosts and Madison & M.O.N.-Ro (neither of which ended up getting made for various reasons). But they passed on Rocket. I have no idea why.

5. Me too.

6. Brandon and Kevin and I came up with a ton of story ideas right off the bat. More than we could ever get to, frankly, even with five seasons. Then the task is to organize our thoughts, figure out what would happen when. We begin to come up with a throughline for an entire season and organize stuff around that. Of course, every time we introduce a new character or event that triggers multiple additional story ideas. It's kinda unending.

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

Bookmark Link

Jesse writes...

Hi Greg!!

First I would like to say i love Gargoyles and W.I.T.C.H.!

My question about the show is
-when did Beast Bboy find out about M'gaan's true form?
-Is Zatanna single at the moment?

Keep it up with the amazing show, Young Justice!!

Greg responds...

1. Between seasons.

2. Why, are you interested?

Response recorded on March 21, 2013

Bookmark Link

Anonymous writes...

Who is Nightwing closer to, Tim or Wally?

Greg responds...

It feels like an apples and oranges question, but... Wally.

Response recorded on March 21, 2013

Bookmark Link

Sean writes...

Does cheshire, paula or sportsmaster know that wally is (or was) kid flash?

Greg responds...

It depends WHEN you're asking about...?

Response recorded on March 21, 2013

Bookmark Link

Juan Dios writes...

I like the changes martian manhunter's powers and other martians as well because in the comics, his powers (and other martians) are mostly comparable to a kryptonian (except for shapeshifting, density shifting, invisibility and telepathy). Why didn't they do that in the current comics?

Also are the abilities of each martian from the comics are natural or genetically modified?

Greg responds...

I can't speak for any decisions made in the comics, current or otherwise. You'll have to ask them.

Response recorded on March 21, 2013

Bookmark Link

Becca writes...

Hi Greg! Question for you about Roy and Jade.

Was their marriage something they actually wanted? Or was it more for convenience (Jade to change her last name or something)? Or was it a decision that was made because you wanted to bring Lian in but children out of wedlock = bad for the show's intended audience?

Thank you! So excited to see YJ back!

Greg responds...

Out of universe, I'll admit there was a little discomfort on the part of some of our bosses about an out-of-wedlock child. Having said that, no one ordered us to marry them off, and ultimately, we felt it worked better for the two, given some of our plans for both Season Two and YJL.

Response recorded on March 21, 2013

Bookmark Link

Number 16 Freak writes...

Should we look for obscure number 16 references, such as 32(=16*2) etc, or you didn't go that far?

Greg responds...

I myself would not count multiples of 16 as significant. But who knows?

Response recorded on March 21, 2013

Bookmark Link

cyber-xanatos writes...

Mr Weisman i had trouble searching in the archive for questions about the forever people so forgive me if some on has already asked these question before. 1.
what was the toughest part about using jack kirby's fourth world in disordered.
2.also how did the writer use such kirby like verbosity in that episode so well.
3.why did you chose the forever people in the first plaec.

Greg responds...

1. I'm not sure there was a tough part, though, of course, we really wanted to do justice to the characters.

2. Well, I can't speak for Andrew Robinson, but I'd guess that, like me, he's a fan.

3. They are the young New Gods, which fit thematically with our young heroes.

Response recorded on March 21, 2013

Bookmark Link

Steel_goliath writes...

Hey Greg I loved disordered and wanted to ask why did you chose to make infinity man silent throughout his appearance

Greg responds...

Felt right, I guess.

Response recorded on March 21, 2013

Bookmark Link

Jasser writes...

I don't want to flood, so this is just going to be a miscilanious question post:

1.Queen bee's powers (supposedly) worked on Garfield, why does it work on pre-pubescents if it is pheromone based?

2.Why did Martians develop shapeshifting if they can't hide their thoughts from each other? On mars,what point does is serve them. We've seen that they ussually are in there default state.

3.Is Connor's super-jump a weakened form of flight, or a result of super strength in his legs?

4. How do you feel on the topic of tv show responsibility? Do you think shows have a duty to set good role models, or do you think having media as a tool for next generation change is misguided and dangerous?

sorry for not numbering my first post, I didn't notice until it was too late.

Greg responds...

1. Puberty (as I understand it) isn't a light switch. It's a process.

2. We're talking ancient evolution, and the Martians evolved along similar lines as the organic species which they now use for their clothes and Bio-Ships. In fact, I would think all three species MUST have had common ancestors. But I'm not an evolutionary biologist.

However, there are a number of truly great scientific minds over at the Station 8 Comment room. Try asking there: http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/comment/

3. The latter - although not JUST his legs, I would think. (Though again, I'm not a kinesiologist.) All of which is not to say that his exposure to a yellow sun doesn't have something to do with it. That's WHY he's strong.

4. I don't want to answer for ALL shows. I think the shows I work on need to have a moral point of view. And I think it's important not to be casual about things like smoking, for example, which has done more damage to this world than almost anything I can think of, off hand.

5. Thanks for not repeating the error! :)

Response recorded on March 21, 2013

Bookmark Link

Jasser writes...

LGBT related questions (and thoughts)

It's been brought up a lot, and entirely not your fault characters can't be open about orientation. Really thankful for all you've done. Nightwings "and some woman" line alone me feel so happy; a Hero from a show vaguely acknowledged I existed, and it really means a lot to me-and maybe some confused kids will be helped. Its hard growing up and trying to believe your feelings thinking absolutely no one is the same, not being able to look to pop culture for any role models. I know it's still too controversial, but I'm glad for our little corner. I don't know how to word this well, but I just want you to understand how much it means to some people you give us a corner. As sincere as I can, I just want to say Thank You! I can't word my thoughts great, but I really wanted to tell you how I felt, thanks for all you do, and your time.

Greg responds...

You word things VERY well. I wish I were doing more, frankly. But I am trying to push for at least incremental change, and I do appreciate that you appreciate the effort. Even if I don't really feel like I've earned much actual praise.

Response recorded on March 21, 2013

Bookmark Link

Jasser writes...

Megan Questions:
Was Megan putting Psimon in Catatonia the same attack she has been abusing recently(if no, what is the difference)? You kind of alluded to that earlier, confirming.

Did she intentionally put him in a coma, or was that an accident from the force of her counterstrike rage?

Could she only do that attack in her White Martain form originally?

Did Psimons powers help him in recovering?

I hope you had a great holiday season Greg! DFTBA

Greg responds...

1. In Psimon's case, it was simply an attack. More recently, the point of the encounter was different. It wasn't about attacking, but about acquiring information. But either way it was a violent psychic attack with very similar repercussions.

2. Catatonia and a coma are two different things.

3. It made it easier.

4. Yes.

5. I did, thanks.

Response recorded on March 21, 2013

Bookmark Link

Marvelman writes...

Who are your favorite legionnaires?

(Mine's Matter-Eater Lad with Arm Fall-Off Boy a close second.)

Greg responds...

Hm. It's been so long since I've read any Legion of Super-Heroes books. Always liked Ultra Boy, I guess. But I liked a LOT of the Legionnaires.

Response recorded on March 21, 2013

Bookmark Link

CGYJ writes...

Hello, Mr. Greg Weisman,

I've read your response about Beast Boy's abilities,and I wish to ask some further questions about it.

1. You say Beast Boy needs to.... grok the animal? Is that something like empathetic bonding? And does that mean he needs to form some kind of friendship with the animal he wishes to transform into?

2. You said Beast Boy cannot grok the animal from a distance or even from distant millenia. IF Beast Boy were to, let's say, somehow wind up in prehistoric times as a result of time-traveling, would he then be able to theoretically grok whatever animal he wishes to transform into?

3. Currently, Beast Boy is not able to transform into any prehistoric animals. However, has Beast Boy, at any point after gaining his shape-shifting abilities, ever wished that he had the ability to do so?

Thanks for taking the time to read my questions,
CGYJ

Greg responds...

1. Don't take me too literally, but check out this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grok

2. Yes, theoretically.

3. Sure, who wouldn't?

Response recorded on March 21, 2013

Bookmark Link

Anonymous writes...

Have Superman and Flash ever raced in the Earth-16 universe?
If so, who won?

Greg responds...

Why would they?

Response recorded on March 21, 2013

Bookmark Link

Cuddlefish writes...

I love Young Justice and can't wait to see some new episodes. You and everyone else did a fantastic job developing the characters and plot.

1. If the series is cancelled prematurely, would you reveal any plot sensitive details or storylines that didn't get resolved?

2. Dick and Tim wear shades around the Team but Barbara doesn't. It looks like at the shower all those present knew her civilian identity. Does most the Team know her ID and if so, why didn't Bruce make her hide it like he does with Dick and Tim?

3. What's the status of Tim's parents? If they are dead or otherwise unable to care for Tim, has Tim been adopted by Bruce like Dick?

4. What are Wally and Artemis studying in college?

Also just want to add that I love your interpretation of Batman and the Robins. I'm glad Bruce and Dick never had their falling out like in the comics and still have a solid relationship.

Greg responds...

1. ASKED AND ANSWERED.

2. Bruce is not her parent, just her mentor. Besides, she's a legal adult.

3. SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT.

4. Lots of stuff.

5. Thanks. Me too.

Response recorded on March 21, 2013

Bookmark Link

A Flash Fan writes...

Hi Greg,

A Flash Fan again. A few more questions and comments if you don't mind.

1. My mind has been going back to the grotto. Ted Kord is the only deceased member of the league there and the other three "dead" members were from the Team. We know Artemis isn't really dead, Tula it can go both ways and I know will find out soon enough, and we officially know the second Robin is dead. I guess I would ask, do you think it is because the Justice League is more skilled with experience and therefore the chances of them getting killed is considerably less than the Team that's still learning the ropes, or is it that the Team is just more willing to sacrifice for what is right? I mean Flash would have died if not for Bart coming back; he said after he was saved he realized he wouldn't have made it, so is there a relationship between age and courage and the ultimate sacrifice do you think for the League and the Team?

2. Why isn't a Kent Nelson hologram/memorial in the grotto? He gave his life in the line of duty and was part of the League (or was he technically just part of the JSA?)

3. I apologize if this is a spoiler, but when did the League and Team start the grotto?

4. I've read that 16 appears a lot in the show. Is that because it is Earth -16 or is there some other reason, and if so what? And did you choose it to be Earth 16 or was that a decision made by DC Comics and the powers above?

5. My favorite scene of Season 1 was in "Auld Aquaintance" when Superboy and Robin bring down Superman and Batman. These latter two are pretty much the symbol of DC (wish Flash was a part of them, but of well) and to see Superboy and Robin, who in my opinion, got along, but never so great and never a prolonged experience fighting together was really cool. The other Team members fighting their mentors were cool, but not like this, this was ice cold frozen! I think it really conveyed something central about the series about the sidekicks filling the roles of their mentors (and was really glad Superman accepted Superboy at the end), so my question is, was this your intent or was there something else? Do you think this is THE scene or is there another one you think is better or was your favorite?

Thanks a lot Greg. Best for the New Year, which reminds me I can't wait to see you this will end on Earth 16's July 4th! Independence Day from aliens not just the US but the world? I'll be watching Jan 5!

Greg responds...

1. No. It's about specific circumstances. Keep in mind, these are heroes who are dead (or thought to be, as in the case of Artemis). Nothing on the memorial says HOW they died. By this time, you know how Ted Kord perished - and it wasn't on a Justice League mission. You have no idea yet how Robin or Aquagirl passed. For all you know, the two of them might have been walking down the street in their secret identities, when a piano, a safe and an anvil fell from above. They both dodged the piano and the anvil, but the safe got Jason and then Tula had a heart attack.

2. The latter.

3. Well, the Grotto itself as a place of contemplation has been there since the Cave was the Justice League's headquarters. But I assume you're asking when it became a place of memorial. And obviously, that was with the death of Jason Todd.

4. ASKED AND ANSWERED.

4a. ASKED AND ANSWERED.

5. Yes, basically.

5a. I'm not sure what you mean by "THE scene". It's certainly one of my favorite sequences.

Response recorded on March 21, 2013

Bookmark Link

EXALT writes...

Is your writing of Snapper Carr in any way influenced by the fact that you know that it's gonna be you playing him (the question may also be applied to Donald Menken in SpecSpidey)?

Greg responds...

Probably a little. But that's probably true of every character that's already cast. We learn to play to our actors' strengths. (Of course, I have very few strengths as an actor, so maybe that doesn't apply to Carr or Menken.)

Response recorded on March 21, 2013

Bookmark Link

Naomi writes...

In the Young Justice comic #7, in the beginning, right after Artemis' first crime fighting moment, when the robber said, "She didn't take the money... What kind of masked thief doesn't take the money?" Did he think she was a robber herself? I guess he didn't really know, but I just wanted to clarify. Sorry for the stupid question, but thank you for answering it :)

Greg responds...

Yes, that's what he assumed.

AND WITH THAT ANSWER, I have finally begun answering questions from 2013!!!

Response recorded on March 20, 2013

Bookmark Link

Isaac Reyes writes...

1. Who is the strongest in Team right now? 2. Over the past years, has Superboy been training with Superman?

Greg responds...

1. Superboy, probably.

2. Yes.

Response recorded on March 20, 2013

Bookmark Link

Anonymous writes...

You've said before that Beast Boy's suit is Martian technology, but yet martians can create clothes organically. So how was his costume made? And what do they use it for?

Greg responds...

Martians don't "create clothes organically". They use organic clothes native to Mars.

Response recorded on March 20, 2013

Bookmark Link

Anonymous writes...

Hi,i'm from latin america so if i make a spelling mistake i'm sorry.I want to know why artemis did't touch Kid flash's shoulder? as zatanna did with robin as a sign of support when batman told the team that maaybe the real roy harper was dead(episode 26 season 1 )

Greg responds...

I think at that moment, she was afraid that comfort from her would not have been welcome.

Response recorded on March 20, 2013

Bookmark Link

Jason Curtis writes...

Hi i have a question, When did Dick aka Nightwing become such a womanizer?!! Zatanna, then Raquel aka Rocket (When did he start dating Raquel?), Bette Kane and who else? Guess bruce wayne aka Batman trained his sidekick in all fields very well or just rubbed of some of that bruce wayne charm on him. lol

Greg responds...

I'm not sure I'd call him a womanizer at all. He does love women. He connects with them. He doesn't cheat on them either. But at this moment in his life (he's still a teenager, after all), he's just not ready to settle down. I don't think that's wrong, as long as everyone is honest with each other and themselves, which admittedly isn't always easy. But since he's still friends with all his exes, Dick must be doing something right.

As to all your "when" or "who else" questions, they're SPOILER REQUESTS. NO COMMENT.

Response recorded on March 20, 2013

Bookmark Link

Eileanna writes...

Hey, Greg! I have just a quick question on Lexington's biological parents. I do realize Gargoyles don't care about that sort of thing, but for some reason I do. (so human, I know) So, I noticed the only web-winged Gargoyle we actually see is "Sacrifice" I am wondering if

1. She and her mate "Second" are Lex's biological parents, maybe?
2. And if not then would that mean there were a different pairing we haven't been able to see?

Thanks for taking the time to look at this question. Cheers!!!

Greg responds...

1. SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT.

2. See above.

Response recorded on March 20, 2013

Bookmark Link

btgr writes...

1. Favourite Simon Pegg movie besides JJ Abrams' Star Trek movies? My favourite is Hot Fuzz.

2. Favourite Karl Urban movie besides JJ Abrams' Star Trek movies? My favourite is Out Of The Blue. Out Of The Blue is a 2006 New Zealand movie that was based on the terrible 1990 Aramoana Massacre. If you do watch the movie on youtube, keep an eye out for a police officer named "Nick Harvey", that is in fact Karl playing that officer. Plus in 2008 Karl won a New Zealand Film and TV Award for his role in that movie.

Greg responds...

1. Um. Well, I haven't seen Hot Fuzz. I'm going to have to probably say Narnia, because I haven't seen a lot of Simon Pegg films.

2. Haven't seen Out of the Blue. I guess The Two Towers.

Clearly, I don't get to the movies very much.

Response recorded on March 20, 2013

Bookmark Link

Anonymous writes...

Is Superman's enhanced speed faster than a speeding bullet. ( Please say yes. I loved the classic powers. It is the whole reason that I love that Connor can leap tall buildings in a single bound)

Who is faster Superman or Captain Marvel?

Greg responds...

1. I honestly would love to say that Superman is faster than a speeding bullet. But I don't think he is. Or at any rate, maybe he can be given enough acceleration time. But, no, not off the dime.

2. It depends whether you're talking about Season One Captain Marvel or Season Two Captain Marvel.

Response recorded on March 20, 2013

Bookmark Link

superman fan writes...

I would like to ask if superman has gotten interested in batman's "dead parent's issue".

If so have they talked about Bruce's pain and trauma's?

Greg responds...

I'm not sure what you mean by interested, but if you're asking if these two friends have had frank discussions about their mutual origins (and the tragedies behind them), I think the answer is a cautionary yes. Yes, they've discussed it. But I'm not sure how deep the discussions went for either of them (for very differernt reasons).

Response recorded on March 20, 2013

Bookmark Link

superman fan writes...

1.-How common is kryptonite on earth 16?.

On some interpretation like smallville, it is so common that it is probably cheaper than a rock while in others kryptonite is so rare that only the richest of men like Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor can afford to buy even a pebble.

2.-Is superman's vulnerability to kryptonite common knowledge in earth 16? or just known by a selected few?

Greg responds...

1. Very un.

2. Only a select few even know Kryptonite exists.

Response recorded on March 20, 2013

Bookmark Link

FallenLegend writes...

Hey greg what's up?. I would like to ask you about your anti-revenge theme.

Was there something in your life that taught you that?

If so what it was?

Why do you usually convey that message trough villains (Xanatos and Luthor both hate revenge for example) ?

Why do you think revenge is a sucker's game?. I agree it's a very good message. But I think some people would argue that they are just trying to get justice.

Thank you for your time.

Greg responds...

1. Mostly literature. But it's not rocket science.

2. See above.

3. I personally am tired of the old cliche that a villain is so wrapped up in revenge that he or she has lost track of any other objective. It's still useful sometimes, but for a certain type of villain (like the two you mentioned), I think flipping it is more interesting.

4. Revenge does not equate with justice, per se. And pursuing revenge exclusive of all else is, I think, a sucker's game.

Response recorded on March 20, 2013

Bookmark Link

Otho Fernandes Damasceno writes...

I would like to make a few questions about The Children of Oberon's weakness: Iron.
1) Why they are vunerable to it to begin with?
2) Is iron COMPLETLY inmune to their magic, or only highly resistent to it?
3) If so, how much iron composition other substances (like Steel) would need to be at least resistent to their magic?
4) If a Children of Oberon turn itself into a creature stronger than an average Gargoyle, would he/she be able to break a iron chain with it's bare hands?
5) If the Children of Oberon can't affect iron with magic, how did Oberon managed to do things like levitating Xanatos' laser-gun, shockwave several robotic gargoyles and melt a lamppost with his bare hands?

Greg responds...

1. Maybe because most iron comes from outer space? (Honestly, I don't know. They just are. Like Mon-El's vulnerable to lead.)

2. Iron is immune, but if you can pick up a pair of wood tongs with your magic, you can use the tongs to pick up the iron rod. (Or something like that.)

3. Any iron in an alloy adds resistance, but if you're looking for a numerical value, you've asked the wrong guy.

4. Nope.

5. Depends what they are made of. And also look at the answer to question two. A mighty wind is a mighty wind and can blow anything out of it's path. If Oberon can create a wind, it blows.

Response recorded on March 20, 2013

Bookmark Link

Back to answering questions...

As I'm about to start answering questions here on ASK GREG - post "Endgame" - I want to first reiterate what I've already posted here:

http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?rid=1026

I will NOT suddenly be SPOILING stuff left and right.

The YJ questions that have the best chance of being answered are ones about process and decision making regarding the television episodes and comic book issues that have already aired or been released. Asking for additional content is not at all likely to be rewarded. NOT. AT. ALL.

And again, if you want to know why, read this:

http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?rid=1026


Bookmark Link

YOUNG JUSTICE: INVASION: Episode #220: "Endgame": Credits:

YOUNG JUSTICE: INVASION: Episode #220: "Endgame": Credits:

Posting the credits for the latest episode here at ASK GREG to compensate for how minute they are and how quickly they zip by on the air. Please note, that I'm just cutting, pasting and reformatting the final credits from a document. It's possible that as the episode was posted, changes, mistakes, additions, etc. were made for the version that aired...

"ENDGAME"

Producers
Brandon Vietti
Greg Weisman

Written By
Kevin Hopps

Directed By
Doug Murphy

Line Producer
David Wilcox

Young Justice Theme and Music By
Kristopher Carter
Michael McCuistion
Lolita Ritmanis

Casting & Voice Direction
Jamie Thomason

Starring The Voices Of
Cameron Bowen as Robin
Tim Curry as G. Gordon Godfrey
Miguel Ferrer as Vandal Savage
Bruce Greenwood as Batman
Kevin Grevioux as Black Beetle
Bryton James as Virgil Hawkins/Static
Phil LaMarr as Green Beetle, Aquaman
Stephanie Lemelin as Artemis/Tigress, Computer
Eric Lopez as Blue Beetle, Scarab
Yuri Lowenthal as Lagoon Boy
Jason Marsden as Impulse/Kid Flash, Atom
Vanessa Marshall as Black Canary
Jesse McCartney as Nightwing
Danica McKellar as Miss Martian
Masasa Moyo as Scientist, Cat Grant, Bumblebee
Nolan North as Tribune, Superboy, Superman
Khary Payton as Aqualad, Black Lightning
Mark Rolston as Lex Luthor
Jason Spisak as Kid Flash
James Arnold Taylor as Flash
Tony Todd as Icon
Greg Weisman as Lucas Carr
Michael T. Weiss as Captain Atom
Mae Whitman as Wonder Girl

Based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Entertainment

Batman Created By
Bob Kane

Superman Created By
Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster

Aquaman Created By
Paul Norris

Nightwing Created By
Marv Wolfman and George Perez

Miss Martian Created By
Geoff Johns and Tony Daniel

Cat Grant Created By
Marv Wolfman and Jerry Ordway

Impulse Created By
Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo

G. Gordon Godfrey Created By
Jack Kirby

Snapper Carr and The Atom/Ray Palmer Created By
Gardner Fox

Static and Icon Created By
Milestone Media

Black Lightning Created By
Tony Isabella and Trevor Von Eeden

Production Manager
John Diaz

Assistant Production Manager
Robby Huckell

Animation Coordinator
JJ Conway

Lead Character Design
Phil Bourassa

Character Design
Dusty Abell
Jerome K. Moore

BG Key Design
Fedja Jovanovic
Nollan Obena

Prop Design
Alexander Kubalsky
Eugene Mattos

Storyboard
Jay Baker
Miyuki Hoshikawa
Vinton Heuck
Hank Tucker
Greg Rankin
Seung Hyun Oh

Storyboard Clean-up
Jen Bennett
Kathryn Marusik

Animation Timing Director
James Tim Walker

Timing
Richard Collado
Jeff Hall
Michel Lyman
James Tim Walker

Animation Checking
Justin Schultz

Color Stylist
James Peters

Ink & Paint
Matthew Bordenave

Background Paint
Chun Liu
David McBride
Wei Zhao

Effects Animation
Matthew Girardi

Editor
Jhoanne Reyes

Supervising Dialogue/ADR Editor
Mark A. Keatts

Sound Reading
Fred Salinas
Wilson Martinez

Dialogue/ADR Editors
Patrick Foley
Mike Garcia

Post Production Manager
Scott Shinick

Dialogue Recording Studio
Studiopolis, Inc.

Recording Machine Operator
Jeff O. Collins
Sarah Baluch

Post Production Sound Services
Audio Circus, Inc.

Online Editor
Steven White

Animation Services
MOI Animation, Inc.

Animation Director
Duhyeong Lee

Background Director
Gyeonggi Kim

Production Managers
OKKi Lee
MinSung Park
SuMi Beck

Production Coordinators
Hyosun Ryu
Seongmi Park

Layout Artists
Gijun Kim
Dongjik Woo
Junchan Kim

Color Stylist
Jinmi Kim

Model Checker
Jongmyeong Bae (Director)

Composition
Byoungryul Kim
Hyoyoon Beck
Kyounghee Kang
Sungho Jo

Key Animation
Jaemun Lee
Won Suh
Myeonghwan Park
Chango Park
Beomseok Lee
Gyeonga Chang
Jeonghui Yang
Gyeongho Lee
Geonsik Lee

3D CGI
Guhan Yoo (Director)
Gyusung Oh

Final Checker
Dongmun Choo

Production Administrator
Nicole Martin

Production Accounting
Luisa Guzman
Debbie Lindquist
Maral Simonian
Athena Wingate

Production Support
Erica Sevilla-Guerra
Audrey Kim
Tamara Miles
Kira Tirimacco
Renee Toporzysek
Janet Yi

Executive In Charge Of Music
Niki Sherrod

Business And Legal Affairs
John Michael Beach
Lori Blackstone
Sharmalee Lall
Bonnie Negrete
Joulene St. Catherine

Casting Administrator
Liz Carroll

Production Supervision
Bobbie Page

Production Management
Ed Adams

Executive in Charge of Production
Jay Bastian

Executives In Charge Of Production For Cartoon Network
Tramm Wigzell
Brian E. S. Jones

Executive Producer
Sam Register

This motion picture is protected under the laws of the United States of America and other countries. Any unauthorized duplication, copying, distribution, exhibition or use may result in civil and/or criminal prosecution.

© 2012 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Country of first publication United States Of America

YOUNG JUSTICE and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © DC Comics.

Warner Bros Animation Inc. is the author of this film/motion picture for the purposes of Article 15 (2) of the Berne Convention and all national laws giving effect thereto.

There are, as always, a bunch of people who ALSO helped out but don't receive credits on screen for various (legal and precedent) reasons.
A handful (in no particular order) include...
Curtis Koller - Talent Coordinator
Eric Lewis, CAS - Dialogue Sound Mixer
Ryan Johnston - Assistant Engineer
Otis Van Osten - Sound Supervisor
Ron Salaises - Sound Effects editor
Carlos Sanches - Re-Recording Mixer
Stacy Michaels - Foley Mixer
Alex Ulrich - Foley Walker
John Wells - Research
Aris Katsaris - Atlantean Translator
Winson Seto - Publicity
I know I'm probably forgetting some folks, and I REALLY apologize! If you send me a reminder, I'll pimp you in another post!


Bookmark Link

YOUNG JUSTICE: INVASION: "Endgame": stuff cut for time

YOUNG JUSTICE: INVASION: "Endgame": stuff cut for time

Hey gang,

I hope you enjoyed "Endgame", our second season finale of Young Justice: Invasion.

A little bit of dialogue was cut from the final script for time, and I thought you might like to see it here:

1. We revisit the broken translator gag at the beginning of the episode:

TRIBUNE #1 (VO PRE-LAP): Kesla vane… [Work…] Kesla vaaane, ka SKAH-vey keezy kretchmar, suh frag ka! [Wooork, you stinking little machine, or I end you!] (beat) There. <sigh> Let the defendants rise.

2. G. Gordon Godfrey leads an anti-Reach protest at the U.N. before the battle on the Reach Ship above:

GODFREY: Folks, tell Ol' G. Gordon - and the world - what you think of the Reach!

CROWD: Hate the Reach! / That drink made Grandma sick! / Why are they still here?! / Send 'em packing! / <boos, hisses, etc.>

3. When Blue Beetle first arrives on the Watchtower:

BLUE BEETLE: Awesome…

NIGHTWING: Blue. Focus.

BLUE BEETLE: Sorry. First time here and… never mind.

CAPTAIN ATOM: The natural disasters have escalated. The rest of the League is spread thin saving lives across the globe.

4. In the middle of Lex's call to the Watchtower:

LEX LUTHOR: Secretary Tseng was kind enough to let me borrow his frequency, as I have a possible solution to our mutual problem.

ATOM: A problem created by you and the Light when they collaborated to bring the Reach to Earth.

LEX LUTHOR: Perhaps. But as I believe you know, the Light always planned to betray the Reach. And I certainly have no desire to see the Earth destroyed.

AQUALAD: I believe we should hear him out.

LEX LUTHOR: Thank you, Kaldur'ahm. You are missed in our corner.

5. At the gathering of 40 heroes, while Lex and Blue Beetle are prepping the "Eggs":

IMPULSE: I'm so feeling the mode. I came back from the future to stop the Reach from enslaving the Earth… not to let them destroy it.

KID FLASH: You didn't let them do anything. You stopped them from killing Flash and helped us save Blue. Not to mention, fought alongside us to bring down the Reach and break up the Light.

Kid Flash RUFFLES a smiling Impulse's hair.

KID FLASH (CONT): Now you're going to help save the world. The Reach will not win this one. Not when there are guys like you around to "crash" them. Did I use that right?

IMPULSE: Close enough. And thanks.

6. Lucas Carr coordinates from the Watchtower:

CAPTAIN ATOM (VO RADIO): Alpha Squad engaging Drones.

CARR: Acknowledged. All Squads report in.

Carr REACTS as the first few call-ins OVERLAP, then the rest become a CACOPHONY.

BLUE BEETLE / FLASH / BLACK LIGHTNING / NIGHTWING / AQUAMAN / BLACK CANARY / BUMBLEBEE / ATOM / SUPERBOY / ROBIN / MISS MARTIAN / ARTEMIS / AQUALAD (VO RADIO): Beta Squad in position. / Gamma Squad has disabled MFD. / Delta Squad engaging enemy. / Epsilon just arriving. / Eta still en route. / Theta's a little busy right now. / Kappa Squad engaged. / Omicron has succeeded. / Rho Squad. No joy yet. / Tau Squad has engaged. / Psi Squad has destroyed all Drones. / Omega Squad arriving now. / Sigma has engaged--

CARR: Whoa, whoa. Sorry. One at a time. Sigma Squad, say again.

AQUALAD (VO RADIO): Repeat: Sigma has engaged Drones.

7. After Kid Flash disables the Paris MFD:

ARTEMIS: Omega Squad has-

Kid Flash <SPEEDS> back to her side and <KISSES> her.

KID FLASH: Look, I know we promised each other we'd get out of this game…

ARTEMIS: But maybe we can have our life together and play hero too…

They <KISS> again.

CARR: Omega Squad. Repeat transmission. Omega?

8. During and just after Virgil and Black Lightning's MFD battle:

VIRGIL: Gotta say, playing hero… it's starting to feel pretty sweet.

BLACK LIGHTNING: I'm not surprised. You show real potential for this gig. You ever need a mentor, Virgil, you just let me know.

VIRGIL: Really?! That would be amazing! But first, you think we could head topside and see my family? I really miss 'em.

9. On the Watchtower with Virgil, Cassie and Tim:

WONDER GIRL: Welcome to the Team, Virgil.

STATIC: Call me Static!

ROBIN: Catchy. What about your pals? I take it they declined our invitation.

STATIC: Well, Arsenal was always more of a solo act. And the others are getting out of the game. Neut went back to his foster family, and Eduardo moved in with his dad. Even Tye went home. I guess his mom's evil boyfriend is out of the picture.

WONDER GIRL: And Asami?

STATIC: She's staying with Tye and his mom. Turns out she and Tye kinda had a thing. And none of us knew.

Wonder Girl and Robin are secretly HOLDING HANDS behind their backs.

ROBIN, WONDER GIRL (UNISON): It happens.

Finally, just because - knowing our fans - this might be of interest, here are the twenty squads that successfully disabled the first twenty MFDs:

1. Alpha - Captain Atom, Eduardo "Ed" Dorado, Jr.
2. Beta - Blue Beetle, Impulse
3. Gamma - Flash (Barry Allen), Plastic Man
4. Delta - Black Lightning, Virgil Hawkins
5. Epsilon - Nighwing, B'arzz O'oomm
6. Zeta - Rocket, Adam Strange
7. Eta - Aquaman, Tempest
8. Theta - Black Canary, Asami "Sam" Koizumi
9. Iota - Green Arrow, Captain Marvel
10. Kappa - Bumblebee, Guardian
11. Lambda - Red Tornado, Flash (Jay Garrick)
12. Mu - Doctor Fate, Blue Devil
13. Nu - Red Arrow, Arsenal
14. Omicron - Atom, Tye Longshadow
15. Pi - Zatanna, Batgirl
16. Rho - Superboy, Wolf
17. Sigma - Aqualad, Lagoon Boy
18. Tau - Robin, Wonder Girl
19. Psi - Miss Martian, Beast Boy
20. Omega - Artemis, Kid Flash

I'll post the credits tomorrow and start answering questions on Wednesday...


Bookmark Link

Props to GLTAS

I just want to extend my congratulations to a great season of Green Lantern The Animated Series.

I had no involvement in it, other than as a fan. I watched it every week on DC Nation, and really enjoyed it. And I think their last episode was just killer. I've been really impressed with the work that Jim, Giancarlo, Bruce and the rest of the crew has done all year, and with a core voice cast of Josh Keaton, Kevin Michael Richardson, Jason Spisak and Grey Delisle, it just doesn't get any better.

Obviously, I wish they were making more, but that doesn't change the fact that what they already accomplished was stellar!


Bookmark Link

YOUNG JUSTICE: INVASION: EPISODE: 220: "Endgame": Premieres!

YOUNG JUSTICE: INVASION: EPISODE: 220: "Endgame": Premieres!

YOUNG JUSTICE! INVASION! ENDGAME! ENOUGH SAID!

This is it, the big season finale, folks! Watch "Endgame" on DC Nation, this coming Saturday, March 16th, 2013 (and rerunning Sunday, March 17th, 2013), along with another new episode of Green Lantern and more DC Nation Super-Hero shorts. For times, check local listings. But don't miss it!


Bookmark Link

Blaze writes...

Hello, I'm a big fan of your work, especially W.I.T.C.H, which never seems to get the credit it deserves. So I've just a got a few questions on that front.
1. About how old is Phobos?
2. Was there ever a plan to show more about Elyon/Phobos's biological parents, and if so, what were they like, especially to Phobos?
3. I know this is a bit vague,so no worries if there's no answer. I like to write, but I always have a hard time coming up with villains. Any advice on how to create an interesting bad guy?

Thanks!

Greg responds...

1. I don't recall, I'm afraid. SO LONG AGO.

2. They were decent people. Perhaps over-indulgent. And probably in some denial.

3. Start with your hero and hold a mirror up to some aspect of him or her. Then twist.

Response recorded on March 14, 2013

Bookmark Link

Jasae Bushae writes...

I apologize if this question may be a bit vague but aside from that Stargate premise and any others you may have mentioned in the archives(which are filled with lots and lots of answers so its taking a while to go through them all)
Were there any other comic/show/series concepts that you tried to sell that have not come up thus far? I and im sure many of your other fans would probably be quite curious to discover what amazing and grand projects you have plotted in the past that never made it off the ground.

Greg responds...

Yes.

Response recorded on March 14, 2013

Bookmark Link

Harlan Phoenix writes...

Today, I read the Mecha-Nation trade paperback. I really liked the first issue when I had read it and now that I've read the whole thing I like it even more. Which strikes me as a good sign.

I think what I like the most about it is that it feels like a Saturday morning cartoon in the best sense of the term. The whole thing is really fun to read, and the distinct art only makes it an even bigger treat. But as much as you have a great reputation for writing villains, it's often your heroes that really endear me. And the heroes of Mecha-Nation are all very fun and engaging. I could very easily see them carrying a series.

General comments:

-Professor Gear is probably one of my favorite characters you've ever written. For no other reason than I giggled every time he said anything. I found him really amusing way back when and that didn't change at all when I got the full story. Part of me wants a full Mecha-Nation series (whether comic or cartoon) just because Professor Gear would be there.
-On the subject of teachers, the mental voice I gave Mr. Caron was your voice due to your association with Snapper Carr. This made the latter two issues amazing.
-I want to take a moment and praise the art again. I would love to see this design style on TV (though more comics would be nice too).
-I'll admit that I saw the twist of who the ultimate villain of the piece was coming by the time the second issue kicked up, but I didn't really mind because the book's still really fun.

I described Mecha-Nation to a friend of mine as, "Much like Bad Guys, it's a fun comic book that makes a good series pilot." And I think that sums it up well. It provided a fun afternoon read and I came out enjoying it very much. I'd really like to see more of it someday.

Greg responds...

Wow. Thanks. Me too.

I have to admit, it never occurred to me to cast myself as Caron. But, heck, if that's what the fans demand...

Response recorded on March 14, 2013

Bookmark Link

Gothic-Cowboy writes...

Mr. Weisman, I previously asked a question about why Barbara Gordon is noticably younger than her traditional comic book incarnation. You answered that it had never made sense to you for her to be older than Robin, since Robin debuted decades before her. I don't really understand your objection. After all, Dick Grayson also debuted decades before Hal Jordan, Barry Allen, John Stewart, Nathaniel Adam, Augustus Freeman, and a lot of other characters that are older than him. Why is it only strange when it's Barbara?
I get that you feel like Dick and Babs should be contemporaries, but that just doesn't feel natural to me. I especially don't get the way that some writers just started forcing them together in the mid-90's, despite the fact that 1)there was a 7-8 year age difference, 2) they had no previous development as a couple, and 3) they were both engaged to marry other people. I just couldn't stand the way that their own relationships were horribly de-railed (to say nothing of what was done and is still being done to Starfire's character) to make way for forcing two characters I saw as surrogate siblings/cousins together. I especially hated the way that the writers felt obliged to "prove" that they were always in love, even when they were actively courting other people, by churning out a seemingly endless series of retcons showing them together in the past, thus creating the "Dick is dog with the ladies" trope that I despise.
An example would be from Nightwing's solo series were, by retcon, we see Dick and Babs "spend the night together," only to have him give her an invitation to his and Kory's wedding the next morning. Did they even care how this was making him look? Then much better (in my opinion, at least) ideas come along, like Oracle's cyber-romance with Ted Kord from Birds of Prey, only to get trashed because it's not Dick and Babs.
I get that there are a lot of fans of pairing off Dick and Babs, even if I can't understand why. I also realize I've kind of exceeded the scope of my inital inquiry, but this is just a subject that kind of bothers me. Thank you for your time.

Greg responds...

Oh, come on. Because the other characters you mentioned aren't Bat-family characters and were introduced as adults as opposed to sidekicks, proteges, Bruce Wayne's ward or Commissioner Gordon's daughter (i.e. generationally, Dick and Barbara are on the same level from the get go).

Besides, in almost EVERY interpretation of Batgirl I've ever seen, she's usually a contemporary of Dick's, so what exactly are we arguing about? It doesn't feel natural to you to interpret the characters the way they've ALWAYS been interpreted?

You claim it was new to the 90s, but I've been reading comics since the 60s, and that's how I've always seen it interpreted. ALWAYS. And now you're throwing in arguments regarding Starfire and other characters and scenarios that aren't even in or on our series? How is any of that relevant to YJ's interpretation of these two characters?

Look, I'm not denying that here and there it's been interpreted differently, but the vast majority of Dick and Barbara's appearances have them either as contemporaries, near-contemporaries or as Dick being slightly OLDER.

But, okay, fine. If it's not working for you, it's not working for you. Still, what do you expect me to say?

Or maybe I'm over-reacting. You just felt like ranting about Nightwing, so you did. That's cool too, I guess. But by phrasing it as a question to me, you've got me ranting back because it makes me feel like you're trying to get me to admit that we made a mistake, and I just don't feel that way.

I'm very happy with our interpretation of both Dick and Barbara in the show and in it's companion comic. I wasn't even reading comics in the late nineties and have never read the stories you reference above, so you can rest assured that I didn't base our interpretation on those stories, which you don't care for. Rather I based it on how I feel about the two characters myself. We can leave it at that.

Response recorded on March 14, 2013

Bookmark Link

Anonymous writes...

On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate Jade's protective nature over Lian?

Greg responds...

Does this have ANY meaning?

Ten, I guess. But a ten to one person, might be a two to someone else.

Response recorded on March 14, 2013

Bookmark Link

Gothic-Cowboy writes...

Mr. Weisman, why did Cadmus cut off Roy Harper's arm? I know you've said that they needed a quantity of DNA seperate from his cryonically frozen body. I just don't understand why his being frozen was an issue with availability. They have his whole body. His DNA is in every part of it. They don't need to defrost him in order to get a sample. Even if they did, why not just use his blood? It seems a lot simpler to me, and the first step of cryonic freezing (in the real world, at least) is to remove all of the subjects blood and replace it with a preserving agent.
Was it meant as a reference to the much-maligned Cry For Justice storyline. If so, why do an homage to a storyline that has inspired such wide-spread loathing among everyone who isn't an employee of DC Comics? Hyperbole on my part, perhaps, but I've yet to find a single review of it that was positive, and I've deliberately tried.

Greg responds...

I'm not sure on what level to respond to this.

Obviously, on Earth-16, cryonic's doesn't include full on blood replacement. Obviously, at the time Roy was captured, the good folks at Cadmus felt that in the early stages of their cloning experiments, taking his arm made the most sense.

As for your out of universe comments, I haven't read Cry For Justice, so I have no opinion on its execution. But once we decided that we were going to have both a Red Arrow and an Arsenal on the series - and that both would originate with Speedy, it made sense to us to utilize the amputated arm idea on all sorts of levels. It wasn't an homage. It was utilitarian.

If it didn't work for you, it didn't work for you. But it worked for us, and I think it seems to have worked for a majority of the fans.

WE LIKE OUR SHOW. And, dude, you're just not going to convince me that I don't like the show. Stop trying.

Response recorded on March 14, 2013

Bookmark Link

Gothic-Cowboy writes...

Mr. Weisman, why did Nightwing perform chest compressions on Artemis when she (seemingly) had a chest wound? First Aid for someone with a chest wound is to apply pressure to the wound (preferably clean dressing, if available), apply pressure to prevent further blood loss, and get them medical care immediately. Performing CPR on a person with an open wound in their chest is just going to force more blood out of their body, thus exacerbating their primary medical problem, a loss of blood. Without blood to circulate, CPR is pointless.

Greg responds...

Okay.

Seems to me without a hearbeat, ANYTHING else is pointless, so Nightwing was trying to generate a pulse. But I don't pretend to be a medical professional. If we got it wrong, we got it wrong.

Response recorded on March 14, 2013

Bookmark Link

Foxwolf writes...

Hi Greg. I was wondering if you could provide the voice credits for the following minor characters from Season 2 thus far?

S02E01: Happy New Year
- NYC Police Officer (who tries to stop Lobo)

S02E02: Earthlings
- Rannian Science Patroller #1
- Rannian Science Patroller #2

S02E03: Alienated
- Hall Of Justice Tourist
- Manta Sectors 1, 2 and 4

S02E04: Salvage
- Arlington Nuclear Power Plant Security Guard #1 (male)
- Arlington Nuclear Power Plant Security Guard #2 (female)

S02E05: Beneath
- El Paso Bus Depot Clerk

S02E06: Bloodlines
- Central City Police Captain

S02E07: Depths
- Manta Trooper

S02E10: Before The Dawn
- Reach Captive #1 (male with long hair wearing cap and red shirt)
- Reach Captive #2 (blonde male wearing beanie and white shirt)
- Reach Captive #3 (female with a hair bun and yellow shirt)

And are the Kroloteans performed by voice actors or sound effects? If they have voice actors, would you mind sharing who provided the voices?

As always, your time and replies are greatly appreciated. Looking forward to the second half of Season 2!

Greg responds...

The only place I keep that kind of information is on the hard copies of my recording scripts, and unfortunately, at the moment, those are boxed until I can find the time to go buy a new file cabinet for my Beverly Hills office.

Response recorded on March 14, 2013

Bookmark Link

btgr writes...

Do you have a favourite Jesse McCartney song?

Greg responds...

Can't I love them all equally?

Response recorded on March 14, 2013

Bookmark Link

masterbow writes...

One of my favourite thing you have a tendency to do is have recurring background characters. I really liked the one in spectacular Spider-Man, where Spidey webs up a nerdy guy and a pretty girl to keep them out of the way of a runaway car. A season later, we see them again when she accepts his proposal on Valentine's Day. I was wondering do you have little stories in your head about these types of characters and if you'd be willing to share them with us?

Greg responds...

I do occasionally have stories about these characters, but this isn't the forum for me to tell them.

Response recorded on March 14, 2013

Bookmark Link

WONDERCON ANAHEIM - ASK GREG LIVE

WONDERCON ANAHEIM - Who'd like to meet up?

My daughter Erin and I will be attending WonderCon on Friday, March 29th:

http://www.comic-con.org/wca

I'm not on a panel or anything official. I'm just going to look around, hang out, etc. But ASK GREG moderator Masterdramon is also going, and we thought it might be fun to organize a semi-impromptu ASK GREG LIVE event. I assume most folks would want to talk about Young Justice, which is great. But we can also discuss Gargoyles or the weather or whatever. Chris Jones and I did something similar a few weeks ago at a Doctor Who convention, and we had fun. I think about twenty or so fans showed, which was a nice number. We might wind up with a few more or less. Or, heck, maybe it'll just be me, Erin and Masterdramon, which is okay too. EIther way, we want to try to keep the thing unofficial, informal, casual, etc.

The main question I have is exactly when and where should we meet up? Has to be Friday the 29th, and because (a) I'm driving down there from Los Angeles and (b) it's the first day of the con, it probably shouldn't be too early. Likewise, I'm not staying overnight, and I have the drive home, so not too late either. So an afternoon meet-up, I'm guessing. Or maybe lunch? An early dinner? Linner?

And where do we meet? How do we find each other? (I'm not familiar enough with the Anaheim Convention Center to know exactly where a good spot might be.)

I'm definitely open to suggestions. I'm posting this here at ASK GREG, but also in the Station 8 Comment Room, which I'll be checking periodically between now and the con. If you have any thoughts on where we could meet, please post them there:

http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/comment/index.php

It'll also help us gauge interest in how many people might actually be, well... interested in this sort of thing. So even if you have no suggestions but you plan on joining us, post anyway, so that we can begin to approximate a head count. It may influence where we meet up.

The week before the convention, I'll post the final specifics on where and when at ASK GREG and at Station 8.

Hope to see at least a few of you soon.


Bookmark Link

Brian writes...

I know you said in a few other questions that Ms. Martian was the only member of her family who had a "white" appearance. She also mentioned that she had 12 sisters, and that Martians stay close in large families through telepathy. So:

A) How close is she with her Martian family, now she's on earth? Does she write/communicate/keep in touch?

B) Was there any difference in her relationship with her father, compared to her siblings, because she faced the same prejudices He did?

C) How well did she get along with her siblings, was she especially close with any of them?

Also, I'm not sure if you plan on answering this in the show, so if it's not a spoiler request, why did Beast Boy develop powers after being bitten by a Green Monkey? Why not right away? And, would a bite from any other animal have done the same thing, or is there something special about green monkeys?

Thank you for taking the time to read and answer this.

Greg responds...

Okay, for starters, I never said that. In fact, I specifically said she had one brother who was a White Martian. Nor did I say that Martians "stay close in large families through telepathy". So...

A. Largely, no.

B. Every relationship is unique.

C. Every relationship is unique, but she was not particularly close to any of them. Sometimes it was her fault, sometimes one of theirs.

As for your Beast Boy question... have you seen the show?

Response recorded on March 13, 2013

Bookmark Link

Anonymous Writes writes...

Cadmas was shot down by end of Season 1?

Greg responds...

Do you mean SHUT down? (Because when I first read this, I thought that you thought that "Cadmas" was a person who was shot, like with a gun.)

Anyway, no.

Response recorded on March 13, 2013

Bookmark Link

Tal9922 writes...

Hey there, sorry if this has been asked before, I tried searching for it but I literally got hundreds of hits, so...

1) How come Earth has so many Green Lanterns? I read a little about the reason for it in the comics, but I'm wondering of the reason for it in Universe 16?

2) Why were John and Hal originally against Guy joining the Justice League?

Greg responds...

1. Our basic theory is that qualified Green Lanterns are hard to come by in Universe-16. Entire planets, entire populations, have been searched, with a ring finding no one qualified. Earth, oddly, seems to have at least the potential for the kind of greatness that a ring is looking for. And so it may be a recruitment bed, which does NOT mean that suddenly there are going to be hundreds of Lanterns on or from Earth, or even a handful, as just being recruited from somewhere doesn't mean you're assigned to that sector.

2. Guy can be a real pain in the butt.

Response recorded on March 13, 2013

Bookmark Link

Nicki writes...

What exactly made Tommy Terror that big in season 2? I mean look at him! What has he been eating? Babies? O____o

Greg responds...

Yes. Babies.

Response recorded on March 13, 2013

Bookmark Link

Greg Bishansky writes...

I wrote this up on my blog last Christmas (a bit of a gift to myself there) and thought I'd share it here.

For every hero, or group of heroes, there must be villains. The villains test the hero, the villains make the hero. In the realm of superhero lore, Batman and Spider-Man have been cited as having the greatest rogues' galleries in comics. And I do not disagree. Sadly, other heroes or teams seem to come up lacking. Sure they may have one or two great villains, but the rest seem to be meh. The FF have Dr. Doom and Galactus, sure. The X-Men have Magneto and the Sentinels, Green Lantern has Sinestro, but the rest of their rogues galleries have always seemed, at least to me, to be okay at best. I know some will contest this opinion, but it's my opinion and as far as this blog goes, that's the one you're stuck with. Personally, I always thought the Third Great Rogues' Gallery belonged to "Gargoyles." So, let's honor them.

First of all, here's who didn't make the list and why:

Wolf - Nothing against Wolf, he's fun. He's a big dumb thug, but he's fun. But, as of yet, I haven't found him to be very interesting on his own. And I always thought his teammates were more interesting and fun to watch.

Tony Dracon - I like him a lot more than a lot of other "Gargoyles" fans seem to. He's usually fun, but he didn't quite have enough to make this list.

Oberon - I never thought of him as a villain, and I still don't. Even when he was trying to kidnap Alex. Did I agree with him? Not at all, but I don't think he was in the "legal" wrong either.

Robyn Canmore, Dingo, Matrix, Yama, and Fang - If you don't know why, shame on you.

Second of all, here's who I hope to add to the list some time:

Queen Mab - Come on Disney, let Greg do it!

Morgana le Fay - Ditto.

With that out of the way, let's dive into list.

20. Duval and Peredur fab Ragnal

At present, we've seen too little of these two to know much about them. But what we have seen has been enough to give us an intriguing mystery, especially if you've been following ASK GREG for the past fourteen years. They are the guiding hands of the Illuminati Society, which was created a century after the Fall of Camelot, by Sir Percival to "set things right." Which of these two men is Sir Percival? Well, I have my theories on that. Peredur fab Ragnal is the Welsh name for Percival, and Duval sounds like a modern alias for Percival as well. In fact, for years Greg Weisman told us that Percival was Duval, and then when the comic comes out we get Peredur. Following that, he said nothing changed from his original plan? So, who is Sir Percival, and what's the deal with the other guy? Again, I have my theories.

But I imagine that should new material ever come our way, one or both of these guys will shoot up on this list.

I also enjoy the idea of Duval being cybernetic, but I think he needs a bit of a re-design. Especially in what he wears.

19. The Banshee/Molly

The Banshee may have only been in one episode (with a cameo appearance in another), but damn did she leave an impression. Everything about this character was executed flawlessly. The character model, the animation, the voice, the effects! I loved how ghoulish she appeared, you could see the background through her.

It also helps that "The Hound of Ulster" is one of the best World Tour episodes. The script is tight, the animation is gorgeous, and a lot of the character actions are subtle and over the top when they need to be. Look at Molly's brief, brief exchange with Rory's father for the subtly, which contrasts the wonderful over the top performance as the Banshee.

18. Duncan

This guy was a jerk. I mean, really. A paranoid tyrant who thought the world was out to get him. Well, not the world so much as his cousin, Macbeth. I suppose I can understand seeing Macbeth as a threat to the throne, but he just seemed to go out of his way to make Macbeth miserable. He reveled in it. When he died, we were all happy to see him bite it.

17. Hakon

Batman has Joe Chill, and Spider-Man has the Burglar. Goliath has this Viking chieftain who massacred his clan. Well, Hakon may not have acted alone, but with the swing of his mace, the series really began. Like his descendant, Wolf, he's pretty one-note. But he plays that note masterfully.

But perhaps the better story isn't even the one where he shattered the clan, but the one where his vengeful spirit attempted to drive Goliath insane. That episode was the perfect send off for Hakon, even more so than falling off a cliff to his death. His angry, vengeful spirit was trapped alone at the bottom of a cavern for all of eternity without anyone or anything to hate. At least that's where I think he should have stayed. Hakon might have ranked higher if he didn't come back one last time in an episode that I thought was one of the show's only misfires. But hey, sixty-five episodes, eighteen comics, and only one misfire. You're still golden.

16. Coldsteel/Iago

Now this guy is fun. I love his design, both as a gargoyle and as a robot. I love his Doc Ock-esque tentacles, and I loved Xander Berkeley in the role. Coldsteel is a manipulative jerk, and it's fun to watch him work. His favorite victim is usually Coldstone, and his goal remains unchanging… possess Coldfire. In a nutshell, he's a creepy stalker.

What's also fun is that he's had three voice actors, and not because Berkeley was unavailable. When he controlled Coldstone's body, he was played by Michael Dorn. When he possessed Brooklyn, he was voiced by Jeff Bennett. And they both did it without talking like their regular characters. Watch "Possession" again and listen to "Brooklyn" speak. It's obvious who is in the driver's seat.

I also enjoyed his appearance in the comics, working for Xanatos to distract our heroes from the theft of the Stone of Destiny. Where will he go from here? I'm not sure. I tend to think he works better when he's teaming up with other villains than acting on his own. Well, he did see potential in the Coyote robot, so maybe that's not over; one could see him working with Thailog too; perhaps even re-team with his rookery sister, Demona… they did get along quite well in "High Noon."

15. Constantine III

What can I say about this guy? He follows a long tradition of Disney tyrants, and is just as fun to watch as any of them. Sometimes I think the tenth and eleventh century villains are even more vicious than the modern day villains, and Contantine sums that up.

When we first meet this guy, he uses Finella, the woman who loves him, to lure King Kenneth (who is in love with her) out just so he can murder him in cold blood and take his crown. Then he casts her aside so he can marry Princess Katharine and better secure his claim to the throne. And he tries to keep in control with barely veiled threats against her charges. Harsh.

But even better than that is his return in the "Gargoyles" comic book where he's hunting down and murdering every gargoyle clan he can find, and trying to find Katharine and her friends. By now, he's been in power for two years and rules with an iron fist… which leads to a civil war. This guy is such a jerk that he even kills the messenger that the army of the Three Brothers sends. You never kill the messenger.

And then there was his rather creepy relationship with his new protégé, Gillecomgain, which led to the two inspiring each other in a very twisted ways. Constantine is inspired by Gillecomgain's scars to wear them as war paint in battle, and in turn, Constantine inspires Gillecomgain to become the Hunter. As if Gillecomgain needed any more inspiration. Which brings me to…

14. Gillecomgain

Let's face it, even as a kid, Gillecomgain had issues. Obviously there was a lot of darkness instilled in him by his father, who himself had some very understandable issues also. What did these issues lead to? One rogue gargoyle was going through their barn, and Gillecomgain pointed a pitchfork into the shadows to scare a thief only to get slashed across the face. What did THAT lead to? Arguably the events of the entire series.

Gillecomgain's life didn't get better. Constantine III took an interest in him which set him on the path of becoming a masked political assassin, not to mention his continued hunt for the demon that scarred him. Like dominos, this led to events that made Macbeth the man he is today, the Canmore clan what they became, and set the tone for centuries of hatred and pain. And all because of one scratch in a barn.

As a character himself, Gillecomgain stacks up well. There is a moment after his arranged marriage to Gruoch, who obviously doesn't love him, where you almost wonder if you should feel bad for a man whose wife obviously despises him. Then he crushes her rose underfoot. What does this mean? Here's a hint, Luach might not have been Macbeth's son. Powerful stuff.

13. Falstaff/John Oldcastle

Okay, this guy is fun. Him and his gang of LARPers gone bad. They appeared only in the final two issues of "Gargoyles: Bad Guys" but they made an impression. I loved the buildup Falstaff received. We see him take a young Harry Monmouth (who would grow up to become Dingo) under his wing. Train him to be a thief, and take pity on the poor boy after his mother ran out on him. Only for that shocker of a final page where we see Oldcastle with his hands wrapped around the throat of her already dead body.

I really love his gang. At first glance, they seem super human, but are in fact incredibly skilled. And I love that Oldcastle, maybe the world's greatest thief, named himself after Shakespeare's king of thieves. He looked the part, and just seemed to take so much joy in everything he did, and that helped make it a joy to watch him do it.

I hope we get more at some point, because I want to know more about him. Why did he murder Dingo's mom? And when did the Illuminati recruit him? Does he have any other responsibilities for the Society other than guarding their giant vault? Well, until next time, and I believe there will be a next time.

12. Shari

Of all the new characters introduced in the comic books, the most intriguing has to be Shari. Is she Thailog's new executive assistant, or does she own him? So far it seems to be a little bit of both. But I'm sure it's far more one than the other.

I love the narrative device of her storytelling, and I wonder where her knowledge comes from. Sure, she's a very high member of the Illuminati Society, but there are some things she just shouldn't know. And yet, she does. Like I said, she's intriguing. Now, I have my theories on who she really is, in fact I think it's so obvious, I almost wonder what the point of not revealing it was, aside from the fact that I can't see a place in the stories released to do it.

And as a final bit of trivia, Shari's look and basic design was inspired by stage actress and long time "Gargoyles" fan, Zehra Fazal. I've seen her perform on stage, and she is brilliant. She definitely deserved to be immortalized in "Gargoyles" canon in such a way.

11. The Archmage

Who would have thunk it? A one-shot villain if "Gargoyles" ever had one. You watch "Long Way to Morning" again, and you'd never think this guy would have become so important in the grand scheme of the series. Well, let's just say that David Warner kicks ass.

While I do write off his appearance in "Long Way to Morning" as 'obvious one shot villain,' he's still fun, even there. But I think what everybody remembers most is his turn as the villain in the "Avalon" triptych. I loved "Avalon Part Two." I thought the script was brilliant. I thought David Warner's dialogue with himself was tremendous. The entire endeavor was just wonderful.

Do I agree with the decision to kill him off? Absolutely. I don't think he would have had any staying power in the modern day material. The guy is a clichéd sorcerer, even if he's a very fun one. However, that doesn't mean I think the character is done entirely. There is plenty for him to do in a certain spin-off that takes place during the "Dark Ages." Or maybe even something to do if one were to TimeDance and have an encounter with him.

10. Coyote

What can I say, I have a soft spot for this glorified toaster oven. At first glance he may seem like Ultron wearing half of Xanatos's skin, but the influence from Xanatos is evident. This robot has a sense of humor, sometimes even a perverse one. Granted it's not sentient or self-aware, but it almost seems close enough to fool you.

I love all the designs he goes through. They're all different, while at the same time reminding you of who you're looking at. But my favorite will always be the first one. I loved the look, I loved his perception-warping weapon the most. I wish he'd used it more often.

What's next for this character? Well, Greg has kept extremely tight-lipped. We know more upgrades are on the horizon, but come "Gargoyles 2198" … well, let's just say I think I know what the Xanatos of "Future Tense" was actually foreshadowing.

9. Jackal and Hyena

The "Gargoyles Universe" is well known for their complex, complicated villains. But sometimes, it's nice to just cut loose. Enter the sociopathic Jackal; and his twin sister, the psychotic Hyena and we're in for a good time whenever they show up. These two will crack you up one moment and then make you sick the next.

The first time they appeared, they didn't seem THAT bad. Then, come their second appearance, you have Hyena nearly slicing a fan's face up, and smiling when she gets arrested. Following that, we have Hyena falling in love with a robot. And then, after that, the two volunteer to trade in their body parts for cybernetic implants. Frankly, it's rather sick.

Jackal almost seems normal when you compare him to Hyena. "Normal" being very relative, until we get to "Grief" where he becomes the avatar of Anubis, giving him power over life and death, and what does he do? He decides he wants to end all life on Earth. Yeah….

I'm glad these two are close siblings, because they deserve each other. Still, whatever else they are, they're very fun bad guys. Hell, even a friend of mine named his gold colored Aztek after Hyena.

8. Anton Sevarius

Dr. Anton Sevarius earns points for being the creepiest villain we have encountered so far. He's even creepier than Jackal and Hyena! Sure, he's pretty much a hired gun, but the guy enjoys it. He revels in it. I can sum up Sevarius with one quote. After he was asked why he was doing this:

"For science, which as my associate Fang indicated, must ever move forward. Plus there's the money… and I do love the drama!"

This guy is only slightly more ethical than Dr. Mengele! And I also need to give a ton of credit to Tim Curry for really bringing this guy to life. Apparently, Brent Spiner was the first choice to voice Sevarius, but Curry got the role, and Spiner was cast as Puck. Thank god for those decisions.

Another moment that really stands out was when he was all over Angela in "Monsters." Does he have a sexual interest in her? I don't know, probably not. I think he just took pleasure in making her as uncomfortable as possible.

I think my other favorite Sevarius moment comes from "Double Jeopardy" where he thinks he's taking part in a Machiavellian scheme of Xanatos's and decides to act the part… very badly, I might add. So much fun, even when he makes you scream.

7. The Weird Sisters

Okay, let's get this out of the way. Silver haired Luna is the Sister of Fate; Raven haired Selene is the Sister of Vengeance; and Golden haired Phoebe is the Sister of Grace.

The Weird Sisters are, for the most part, a complete mystery. They have plans within plans that stretch through the centuries, after all what is time to them? They could even give Xanatos a run for his money. What is their agenda? Only they know. We've seen two thirds of the story, with Luna ascendant during "City of Stone" and Selene ascendant during "Avalon." But there is a missing piece, where does grace fall in their plans for Demona and Macbeth? Hopefully time will tell.

These three are great fun to watch. I love how they can be both nowhere and everywhere. And I love how they can and will take on different forms depending on who is looking at them at any given moment. Where do their loyalties lie? Well, it seems to be with Oberon, but I've long suspected there is something bigger at play with these three.

It would be easy to say they were plucked straight out of the Scottish Play, but in several folklores and mythologies, the Weird Sisters are present in some form. There is just something elemental and primeval about them. And that's part of what makes them a great element of the series.

6. Fox

Any woman who David Xanatos would marry would have to be cut from the same cloth he is, because anyone else would be beneath him. Fox is that woman. Hell, sometimes she gets the better of him, whether they're sparring in the dojo, or playing chess. And he doesn't resent this; it's just further proof that he's found the love of his life.

It's weird to watch her in "The Thrill of the Hunt" at times, because Wolf, Jackal, Hyena, and Dingo just seem so far beneath her, she almost seems out of place there. And yet, at the same time, the more we learn about her, the more it makes sense. When we meet Halcyon Renard, a huge piece of the puzzle is put into place. She was never a daddy's girl, in fact, quite the opposite. She was clearly motivated, for years, by just annoying her father. Maybe her mother too.

And I think it was just as much of a shock to her that she loved David. But I wonder what their relationship was like before her prison sentence? Obviously Xanatos made her a television star, but what else was going on there?
She was his lover and employee. And a trained mercenary, let's not forget that.

Like her husband, she grew and developed as the series progressed, and is every bit as interesting a character as he is. In fact, in an alternate universe, I wonder how the series would have played if Fox was in Xanatos's role from the get go.

5. Thailog

Ah, the prodigal son… and he's a bastard. Literally.

I love this guy, he's just a hoot. Thailog is as powerful as Goliath, as brilliant and amoral as Xanatos, and as hammy and immoral as Sevarius. All at once. And it shows. In every single appearance, it shows. The guy is a walking Oedipus complex, what with his desire to prove his superiority to his fathers. I suppose one might say that he's already gotten the better of Sevarius, since he has the good doctor on his payroll. And while he outsmarted Xanatos once, I don't think he's done. Turning Nightstone Unlimited into a powerhouse to rival Xanatos Enterprises is obviously a means to this end. But what next?

I think my favorite thing about Thailog is that while he is a clone of Goliath, that's the last thing that comes to mind when I think about him. He's a fully developed character in his own right, and not simply Goliath's evil twin. On that note, I'm happy his coloring is different, because the last thing this show needs is an entire episode where the gargoyles try to figure out which one is the real Goliath.

And how can anyone not find that maniacal laugh of his to be anything but endearing?

4. John Castaway

John Castaway is a fascinating character, hell to crack the top five, he has to be. Castaway is a weak man, and at the heart of everything, a frightened child. Too weak to stand up to his brother and say "this is wrong" and too weak to admit he was wrong when he pulls the trigger and everything goes to Hell. I think the only thing that has changed is his support system.

Now that the gargoyles have been revealed to the world, Castaway represents a political movement who are moving against them. And it's rather frightening. Not for being a group of hooded thugs, they are not, but for being like a cross between the neighborhood watch, and a support group. Oh, there is a violent wing of the Quarrymen, we know that. But with Castaway's shrewdness, and the Illuminati's backing, I don't think he would do something stupid like fire anti-aircraft cannons in Manhattan, or hijack a train. No… because that would make Castaway much less difficult to defeat than he is. And even then, who says that happens? The Quarrymen are destined to be a problem for at least the next two hundred years, and like the Hunters before them, his descendents will lead the organization.

Keep in mind, we can all trace this back to a scratch in a barn in the tenth century.

3. Macbeth

Well, where do I start? Well, I suppose I will start by saying that I almost feel bad for putting him on this list at all. He has a strong sense of honor, if skewed. He's worked against our protagonists and with them. But, in the end I think the only side he's on is his own. While he is more of an ally now, that doesn't mean he hasn't been part of the problem before and won't be part of the problem again.

His story is terrific. Rather than follow the Scottish Play, the story we got was a loose adaptation of the true history of Macbeth and his reign over Scotland. Yes, we had Demona and gargoyles, and the Weird Sisters and sorcery, but we also had a history lesson unfolding, even if we didn't know it at the time. And it's terrific. To this day, it's my favorite tale in the entire mythos.

When we first meet him, the centuries have certainly taken their toll. He is not above attacking the gargoyles, taking hostages, and committing grand theft. And yet, we never once think of him as evil, despite doing some pretty unethical and amoral things. That changes with "City of Stone" when we learn his story and feel sorry for him. But at the same time, I think the perception among many fans has swung around too far. Yes, we understand him more now. But that wasn't his redemption. Far from it.

I think the tail end of "Sanctuary" and "Pendragon" is where the change begins, and I stress this, begins. In the former, he learned that he is still capable of love. In the latter, while some didn't quite get why he competed so violently against King Arthur for Excalibur, well, it always made sense to me. This is a man who has suffered so much, who viewed his existence as sad and endless, that he was looking for something to give it meaning and maybe justify every terrible thing that has ever happened to him. Being the new Once and Future King would serve that purpose, wouldn't it? Well, it doesn't quite work out for him, but over the course of the series we have seen this man go from suicidal renegade to a man who doesn't think life is completely worth living, and now seeks purpose in his existence. Did he look like a fool clutching that broken sword? Well, he was a broken man. And once you hit rock bottom, the healing can begin.

2. David Xanatos

He was designed to be a heroic character, and he was cast as the villain of the piece. That, right there, is what makes this character so brilliant. He has so many positive qualities, so many admirable traits. He's smart, he's cool, he's suave, he's practical, he knows his priorities, he doesn't sweat the small stuff, he doesn't hold a grudge; the titled heroes have more personality flaws than he does! But he is also incredibly ruthless, and while he's not evil, he is incredibly amoral. He seems to be the walking personification of Frederick Nietzsche's ubermensch when one stops to think about it. And he is awesome.

I am actually struggling here, what more can be said about David Xanatos that hasn't already been said? He's designed many tropes all by himself. There was never a villain like him in animation before, and even after he's left, there still has never been anyone quite like him. He doesn't surround himself with dimwitted henchmen and beat them up and scream when they fail. No, quite the opposite, he is always surrounded by incredibly competent people. His assistant and majordomo, Owen Burnett comes to mind. And he so rarely loses. In sixty-five episodes, and eighteen comics, I can count the number of actual losses on one hand. Aside from that, he always comes out on top. Always. But when he doesn't, he doesn't throw a fit and scream, he shrugs it off and moves on to the next plan. There are always contingencies. This guy is the coolest guy in the series.

His character arc throughout the series is brilliant. I love his rivalry with Goliath, and I love how he doesn't hate or even dislike Goliath. He likes Goliath a lot, admires him, and regards him with what I can best call a mix of interest and benign amusement. That's far more interesting than Megatron's hatred for Optimus Prime. And I really love how Goliath would often use the word "evil" to describe Xanatos. Sure, Xanatos has done some evil things, but Goliath's view of him for the longest time was very two-dimensional. It almost represents how most audiences, especially in animation, were trained to view the villain. No, Xanatos wasn't a Dark Lord, or a diabolical evil. He was simply a trickster. A human trickster.

While Xanatos and Goliath seem to have made some form of peace, that still didn't make Xanatos one of the good guys! I love that! In a way, he's still the enemy, and now the gargoyles are living with him, and they know it! He still has plans and schemes, and while he likes the gargoyles and helps them out, that doesn't stop him from manipulating them to his own ends, or even working against them. And best of all, as far as Xanatos is concerned: it's nothing personal.

I also have to give a ton of credit to the performance of Jonathan Frakes. He made Xanatos sound so sophisticated, fun, and erudite.

David Xanatos, he should run a seminar on villainy. Often imitated, never duplicated.

1. Demona

Demona is the clear number one on this list, for reasons both grounded and very esoteric at the same time. At the most minimal of glances, she seems very typical. We've seen genocidal human haters before. But scratch the surface, even a little, and we get the deepest creation of not only the series, but one of the deepest creations in the realm of fiction. I'm going to say this now, and roll your eyes all you want, but Demona would not be the slightest bit out of place in Russian literature. Or William Shakespeare's for that matter. I love this character.

Let's start with the surface elements first. She's got a terrific character design, and was so very well animated. Marina Sirtis deserves a tremendous amount of credit for the work she did bringing her to life. She embodied that character so completely that I never want to hear anyone else ever voice Demona on any animated project. No one can do it. Period. Hearing Marina Sirtis voice Demona was just as much of a revelation as hearing Mark Hamill's Joker. And I will stand by that statement even under threat of torture. She is also just such a badass! An intimidating warrior, an immortal, a sorceress, and she transforms into a human during the day! Hell, in both forms, she's pretty hot.

Now, for the esoteric. She has a guilt complex that makes Peter Parker's look tame by comparison, but she spreads it around to everyone else rather than internalize it. And considering how much she has to feel guilty over, this makes her arguably the most dangerous character in the series. She cannot accept her own culpability for the terrible things that happened to her, and for all intents and purposes, murdering her clan. She may not have swung the mace, but her ambition, her bigotry, and her cowardice put them in front of it.

Her favorite scapegoats are humanity as a whole, who make an easy and convenient target for her to project her guilt and self-loathing on. Now, does she have a point? Yes. Let's face it, humans can be bastards. We've done terrible things as a species. But, just as you cannot blame every Muslim for the attacks on September 11th, or every German for the Holocaust, Demona is wrong to blame every human for the terrible actions of a few. And at the end of the day, she was either directly or indirectly responsible for those actions. She betrayed her clan, and caused the massacre; she created the Hunter, and betrayed Macbeth. Demona created her own pain, and she intends to wipe out every man, woman, and child on the face of the Earth just to justify every damned stupid choice she ever made.

Despite all of that, she is an eternally conflicted character. She is not a one-dimensional cut-out. Deep inside, she knows she's wrong, she knows what she did. But she cannot and will not acknowledge that. And that's what makes her hatred for Elisa Maza so interesting. The one human she hates most is the one that has been a true friend to the gargoyles, because Elisa is living proof of just how wrong Demona really is. And the fact that Elisa and Goliath are now in love doesn't help considering Demona's lingering feelings of jealousy.

Of course, there is Demona's biological daughter, Angela. She is probably the one person Demona cares about in the world. My single biggest regret about the cancelation of the comic book is that we didn't get to see the two of them interact again. I am beyond curious to see where this goes. But one thing I am confident of, it's not heading towards a hysterically easy redemption. Nope, if we take the plan for the "Gargoyles 2198" spin-off seriously, and I most certainly do, Demona is still plotting against humanity long after Angela has died. Is it sad? Yes. Is it tragic? Yes. Is it Demona? Absolutely.

I also love how she is a walking mess of contradictions. Her belief system is based so much on lies she tells herself, that she will rationalize anything she can to fit her world view. Why? Because the alternative is admitting she is wrong, and right now, she will not do that. Cannot do that. Sadly for both her and Angela, I see tragedy in their future.

Demona's through line is one of the main reasons I am so desperate for "Gargoyles 2198" to be produced. I want to see how her story ends, and if it's going to end anywhere, it's in that spinoff. This is a story I am dying to see, and if Disney never produces it, well… one way or another I intend to find out what happens to her. What her ultimate fate is going to be. We know she'll have an epiphany of some kind. How does it happen? Why does it happen? What's the fallout? How does her story end?

Demona is an endlessly fascinating character. We've never seen anything like her in the realm of western animation before her debut, and I don't think she's been replicated since. Why? I don't know. But lightning has been caught in a bottle, and I am rather happy that no one has attempted to imitate this unique and perfectly conceived character but tragically flawed person.

Greg responds...

What? No love for Bruno?

Response recorded on March 13, 2013

Bookmark Link

demon in disguise writes...

Why was Wally not on the last mission in Before the Dawn, if he claims that he's terrified for Artemis's life? Maybe I'd be more sympathetic towards him if he was doing anything he can to help make the situation better and wasn't content to just sit and wait, and hound Dick for all the decisions he makes. Especially since he was willing to get involved in Bloodlines but NOT HERE. Unless Dick asked him to not get involved because of his emotional state THEN I retract the above criticism. If not how can Wally just sit there and not do something to be proactive at a time like this?

Greg responds...

You're assuming Wally's in the loop. He's not. Obviously, the destruction of an entire mountain in Rhode Island made the news, so Wally showed up to find out what the hell was going on! But he's not receiving a daily briefing. His job in this is to go about his life, as if he's mourning his dead girlfriend. Not, literally, running around, fighting crime.

Nightwing did not invite Kid Flash to participate until the briefing that took place just before "Summit". Obviously, as soon as Nightwing called, Wally was there.

Besides, I don't see Wally moping around on the show, saying some equivalent of "Sympathize with me! Why aren't any of you sympathizing with me?!" So I'm not sure where all this attitude towards him is coming from.

Can I just say, you sound really judgmental. I'm not sure you mean to, and I'll grant that the internet both encourages this and makes tone hard to truly decipher. But that's definitely how you come across to me. I would hope our series generates a more nuanced response.

Response recorded on March 13, 2013

Bookmark Link

dailyplanetintern writes...

Just want to say thanks for taking the time to answer all the questions that we the fans ask (me included) I certainly didn't expect you to reply to that desperation rant that I posted here. O_o.

I will be the first to admit that I was embarrassed after I cooled down and read it a couple of days later, so I very much appreciate that you took the time to humor me.

And I just saw the official trailer to the upcoming second half of the season! I was already excited when I learned of the new date for DC Nation's return, but now I am SERIOULY pumped! That teaser got blood pumping! Young Justice never ceases to improve, just when I think: Ok it's already so amazing they have to be nearing the proverbial "glass ceiling", you prove to me that you and your team are still flying high!!!

I'm so looking forward to seeing Static! He's one of my fav superheroes! Loved his series when I was a kid so I'm stoked that I get to see him again!

And all the runaways with powers popping up all over the place?!, reminds me of Smallville. (That's not a negative comparison by the way.)

Things are getting hot in here!

We've got super powered teenage runaways, (Conner and Mal were worried about maybe having to babysit Impulse and Speedy? Ha!) secrets and lies, and an alien invasion all being dealt with at once, that is one big inter-related problema...

Even caught Superboy giving Nightwing a good tongue lashing. (That ought to be an interesting conversation.)

One word:

WOW

Still hoping for a season three! I will be just one of many happy fans if it's ever announced, and one of the most heartbroken if by some odd twist of fate it's not renewed...

Just the fact that it's taken them this long to come to a decision means that if we do get a third season we'll have to wait a while before we'll see it... though with Beware the Batman and Teen Titans GO! coming I guess there will be time to produce the season, (maybe that's what they are banking on?) If so seems like DC Nation will just start juggling their content like ABC Family and USA do with their original series. While one show is airing the others are being worked on...

Anyway... I'm excited! Just one week to go! (Really two since I was fortunate enough to have snagged "Before the Dawn" before it was removed from iTunes...

^_~.

Greg responds...

By now, hopefully, you've seen all but our season finale. And that's only a few days away!

Response recorded on March 13, 2013


: Displaying #1 - #100 of 171 records. : 100 » : Last » :