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Artemis writes...

Re-watching Gargoyles for the first time in a decade now that it's on Disney+
I could't find anything in the archive. (I did find the answers about Goliath & Demon's ages/changes tho)
1) How old is David Xanatos ? (I'm guessing 37 in the first ep based off Vows)
2) How old is Fox?
3) How long did they know each other vs how long were they dating ?
4) Did anyone sign a prenup ?
5) How many languages do Fox / David speak?

Honestly, despite how dramatic their lives are, they seem like they have a healthy & strong relationship. They both put all their cards on the table & seem to really love each other. I think they have the most honest relationship & will die old & in-love together.

Greg responds...

1. David Xanatos was born in 1955.

2. Janine Renard was born in 1966. Fox was legally "born" in 1991.

3. Uh... they started dating in 1990. Obviously, they met at some point before they started dating, but I don't have an exact date for that.

4. Probably.

5. I'm sure Fox speaks many. And David speaks a handful. But I haven't counted.

Response recorded on June 06, 2022

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Anonymous writes...

1. Exactly much money did Xanatos have to pay in order purchase Castle Wyvern? I mean, I know Owen said the cost was astronomical, but I'd still like to know the exact amount.

2. After Xanatos purchased Castle Wyvern, exactly how long did it take for the castle to be rebuilt on top of the Eyrie Building?

3. In part two of "Awakening," there seemed to be a moment where Xanatos appeared to look upset after the sun had set and the storm was occurring. Was the reason he looked upset at that moment was because he thought the castle was not high enough above the clouds and therefore he initially thought the stone sleep curse on the Goliath and his clan was not going to be broken?

Greg responds...

1. I dunno.

2. Well... check out the various entries in "This Day In Gargoyles History" in the Garg Universe Chronology section of ASK GREG, and you can do the math yourself.

3. I'm not sure he does look upset.

Response recorded on June 03, 2022

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Jurgan writes...

On the Voices from the Eyrie podcast, you talked about how Xanatos isn't petty, and something funny occurred to me. You know who can be extremely petty? Goliath. For starters, he does have a thirst for revenge. I remember a discussion once in the CR about the characters' vices, and we decided Demona and Goliath have the same one, that being vengence. The difference is that Goliath usually keeps it under wraps, probably because he's able to admit when he's in the wrong and de-escalate.

However, G's pettiness shows up in other ways, too. In Deadly Force, he looks very smug about blowing up Xanatos's fancy guns. He gets jealous and overly protective of both Elisa and Angela at times. But my favorite is in The Edge, where he shouts at Xanatos for a while and then runs off, but not before smashing his street lamp. I don't know if that moments was intended to be funny, but it makes me bust out laughing every time. What did you think you were accomplishing, Goliath? Just venting, I guess. And then it even gets a follow-up in The Cage where Derek knocks Xanatos's desk lamp over. He can also be quite petty, or maybe it was just his cat DNA compelling him to push things off of tables.

Anyway, just a bit of disjointed praise/analysis. Summary: You can make characters more compelling by giving the heroes some villainous traits and the villains some heroic traits. This show is still teaching me stuff a quarter century later.

Greg responds...

Thanks. That was the plan. Glad it worked/is working. ;)

Response recorded on June 01, 2022

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Anonymous writes...

Which misconceptions about Captain Atom and his supporting cast annoy you the most?

Greg responds...

Hmm...

1. The conflation of Captain Atom with either (a) Doctor Manhattan or (b) Wildfire of the LSH. Cap is neither an empty shell full of energy as Wildfire is, nor does he have the godlike transformation/transmutation powers of Manhattan.

2. The idea that you can blow Cap up and his destruction releases the equivalent of an atom bomb. He's tapped into the quantum flow, but if he had built up enough power from the flow to be able to generate that kind of explosion, the excess energy would have instantly transported him into the future.

3. Anyone who divorces the Captain's story from the love of his children. That's his raison d'être. Period. That's not to say he can't participate in an adventure that has nothing to do with his kids. A League mission or what not. But if the story is about him, then everything with him is about his kids. He is a dad first. A super-hero and/or a soldier second/third.

4. Anyone who forgets that Cap is a man out of his time. It's not quite as big a deal as the kid thing. He has adapted. But it's important to remember that the 1960s was not that long ago to him.

5. General Wade Eiling is often mischaracterized from my point of view. This is a man with an agenda, but he's still (in his mind) a patriot. He's got a temper, but he's pragmatic not irrational. He'd never, for example, voluntarily place his brain inside the Shaggy Man. That's just silly to me. He's basically a proto-Xanatos. Wade's not as charming as David. But he's that smart and always armed with contingencies.

6. There are probably a lot of other things, too, if I thought about it too much. But the BIG ONE is...

7. The pronunciation of "Eiling." It's EE-ling, like an electric eel. All those people who pronounce it EYE-ling are just objectively wrong.

Response recorded on March 08, 2022

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Alex writes...

1. Do you think Xanatos will ever form a club with Lex Luthor and Norman Osborn? I can't imagine he would find Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark fun for long :)

2. Regarding their wealth do you think Xanatos and Luthor are billionaires and Osborn was a multi millionaire in terms of wealth?

Greg responds...

1. I think we touched on this in one or two of the RadioPlays. You can check 'em out on YouTube. There are links in the Gargoyles Wiki.

2. I haven't done the math.

Response recorded on September 01, 2021

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Todd Jensen writes...

I decided to reread "Clan-Building" as well, after rewatching the first two seasons of "Gargoyles" on DVD, starting with Chapters One and Two ("The Journey)).

The "hunting" analogy continues even past "Hunter's Moon" with Vinnie stating that he hunted a gargoyle down, and Castaway mentioning it (both specifically use the word "hunted").

In my "review comments" on "Hunter's Moon", I noted how it ended, in its final scene at the castle, on what went well for the gargoyles (they're back in the castle, they've made peace with Xanatos, etc.), with their being revealed to the public not mentioned. "The Journey" opens with it being made clear that their problems aren't that over after all, with the public's alarm, the foundation of the Quarrymen, and even Brooklyn raising the question of whether Xanatos really has changed that much. I think his sardonic "Welcome home" establishes the "It's not so happily ever after, after all" tone - in contrast to the way Elisa said "Welcome home" at the very end of "Hunter's Moon".

Greg responds...

It was nice to finally be able to do my version of "The Journey" - as opposed to the reedited piece that was used in The Goliath Chronicles.

Response recorded on August 17, 2021

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Todd Jensen writes...

Rewatched "Future Tense" on DVD today. Things I noticed this time on it.

Bronx looks sad when Hudson's death is revealed; given the bond the two had showed throughout the series, I thought if both fitting and touching (even if it's not really Bronx).

Goliath tells Brooklyn "we thought our odyssey was fated". I thought "odyssey" an appropriate term, since Odysseus spent twenty years away from Ithaca, and Goliath supposedly spent forty years away from Manhattan - and since gargoyles age at half the speed of humans, twenty years for humans would translate to forty years for gargoyles. (I'll admit I'm reaching here - and it feels odd to be linking Goliath to Odysseus when I'd normally think of comparing a different "Gargoyles" character to Odysseus - a fellow Greek trickster....)

The Xanatos Program's intention of using the "World Wide Net" to download itself on every computer marks one of the extremely few occasions I can think of where the Internet was alluded to on "Gargoyles"; the only other example that comes to mind was Sevarius receiving his instructions for "kidnapping" Thailog via "electronic mail". (It also got mentioned in one of the Goliath Chronicles episodes, but that doesn't count.) The near-absence of the Internet from the series certainly makes it appear
technologically dated" from today's perspective.

Greg responds...

I think "odyssey" is a particular apt word. And though Goliath and Odysseus don't have a lot of character traits in common, I do think the comparison here was intentional. And they are both big, strong heroes.

The absence of something like the internet is less of a problem for me - in terms of dating the series - than, say, the brick-sized cellphones that Xanatos and others occasionally use.

Response recorded on August 17, 2021

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Todd Jensen writes...

Rewatched "Cloud Fathers" on DVD yesterday.

This time while watching it, I wondered how Bronx left Beth's apartment. Goliath and Angela glided off without him, and I didn't see him going out the door with the Mazas (which wouldn't have been an option in any case, for obvious reasons).

We get another bit of hunting "verbal imagery", though one of the rare occasions where it's not directed at gargoyles, when Xanatos refers to Coyote the Trickster as his "true quarry".

Coyote the Trickster disappearing when he got the Mazas to look away for a moment reminds me of the tradition about how, if you look away from the faerie-folk for even a moment, they can vanish.

Greg responds...

Don't really remember Bronx's exit without rewatching. But mightn't he have just walked down the outer wall of the building.

Response recorded on August 17, 2021

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Todd Jensen writes...

Rewatched "Bushido" today (I rewatched "Sentinel" yesterday, but had no new thoughts on it).

What most struck me this time around was the parallel to "Awakening", with Taro as like a less-serious version of Xanatos. The two specifics I noticed were the gargoyles' awakening in the theme park, which reminded me of the clan's first awakening in Manhattan, and their wondering if someone had moved the temple, which evoked Xanatos moving the castle to New York.

Greg responds...

Those parallels were very intentional.

Response recorded on August 17, 2021

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Todd Jensen writes...

I've now rewatched "Heritage" and "Kingdom" on DVD. No new thoughts on "Heritage", but I still really enjoy the gargoyles bringing Cagney to the clock tower to look after him in Elisa's absence. I thought it appropriate that it was Broadway who found the kitty (he's the one of the four left behind gargs who's closest to Elisa). And I liked Hudson's rapport with Cagney, while missing Bronx. Including Cagney rubbing affectionately against Hudson - he's got no problems with gargoyles (though Maggie's another story).

I found myself wondering how that containment unit was still functioning after Fang ripped the cables apart to transport it. (To make up for it, I noticed this time around - and really liked - the way they did Talon's voice while he was stuck in there.)

As you pointed out in your ramble, Xanatos's security system does far more damage to the castle than to the gargoyles - I cringe as I see it blowing pieces of the castle apart (small wonder that, by the time of the Double Date story, Owen was getting fed up with all those repairs!) - but Xanatos's lines made up for it.

Greg responds...

Xanatos is just so much fun...

Response recorded on August 16, 2021

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Todd Jensen writes...

Rewatched "Shadows of the Past" today.

Bronx was definitely not enjoying the wild boat ride through the stormy seas - his response put me in mind of the "series Pitch"'s description of him as angst-ridden and not fond of adventures.

I really enjoyed the little animation details in this episode - Elisa cautiously climbing up the path from the shore, grabbing hold of the stone wall at one point to steady herself, or Bronx slipping a bit when he starts climbing up the cliff.

The entrance to the rookery looked different than it did in "Awakening Part One" - apparently those doors and the gargoyle-like face over them were removed by Xanatos to New York, along with the rest of the castle. The depiction of the now castle-less cliff - with a huge gap - brought home just how much of it Mr. X had removed.

I really like the illusory Demona's words to Goliath "Join me in the dark" - it's an illusion of her, of course, but those words capture so well in metaphor what she's been trying to get him to do (when not simply trying to kill him).

This time around, looking at the giant skull-like shape left over from the Archmage's battle with the gargoyles in "Long Way Till Morning", I tried to work out (but wasn't certain) whether it was a real skull (if so, it belonged to something really huge) or just part of the cave sculpted into the likeness of a skull. I'll have to pay closer attention to it, the next time I watch "Long Way Till Morning".

Greg responds...

The animation on that episode was just lovely..

Response recorded on August 16, 2021

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Emily The Disney Fan writes...

Hello again Mr. Weisman, here are 2 separate questions for Gargoyles I have for you if you don't mind!

1. I'm guessing Xanatos had the PACK's Show Produced before the Gargoyles Woke up, but do you know How Long Exactly Xanatos had been putting the PACK Together as Both TV Stars AND as his Mercenaries? a Year? 2 Years? Or More or Less?

2. Is there a Particular reason why there was Never a Real Christmas Episode of Gargoyles, Or was it simply because you just didn't come up with one?

Greg responds...

1. At least a year or two. It was a separate project.

2. It wasn't a priority. We had some ideas, but they never quite raised up to being the top ideas in our arsenal at that time.

Response recorded on August 16, 2021

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Todd Jensen writes...

Rewatched "Vows" today. A few new things that came to me.

I was hesitant about mentioning this, in case it comes across as an idea, but - from the way Goliath addressed Demona as "my angel of the night" at Prince Malcolm's wedding, I wondered if this was the first time he'd called her that.

When Xanatos referred to his getting the old coin that was the foundation of his fortune as "ancient history", I thought, "well, medieval history, to be precise".

I wonder how Prince Malcolm and his court must have perceived the Norman Ambassador's departure - he rides off just before the wedding, not staying to see Princess Elena, whom he'd escorted to the castle, wedded (even though he'd presumably be the closest thing to a representative of her father there). At least it doesn't appear to have caused a diplomatic incident between Scotland and Normandy.

The Archmage addresses Demona as "you stupid beast", continuing the pattern of unfriendly humans using such terms for gargoyles, that I've been paying close attention to this time around.

Brooklyn is the one most vocal about going to Goliath's rescue at the end; I wonder if Demona's involvement and his feelings about her had a lot to do about that.

I still think it's a pity that the original ending got onto the DVD; I hope that the Disney + version uses the corrected ending. (That's the main thing I miss from my old "Gargoyles" tapes.)

Greg responds...

<sigh> That damn ending...

Response recorded on August 16, 2021

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Todd Jensen writes...

Rewatched my DVD of "Eye of the Beholder" today. I didn't find as much new to notice with this one, unfortunately, though I was delighted to note the moment where Xanatos placed his hand on Goliath's shoulder while pleading for his help at the castle - meaning that he had an opportunity (which he used, obviously) to plant that tracking device on him. I'm glad that the episode played fair with that.

Brooklyn's eyepatch as part of his pirate costume seems all the more appropriate after the ending of "Clan-Building".

Goliath echoes "Re-Awakening" when he speaks of Manhattan as "my castle, my city".

Greg responds...

Lots of echoes in this one - backwards and forwards...

Response recorded on August 16, 2021

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Todd Jensen writes...

Rewatched both "Her Brother's Keeper" and "Re-Awakening" today, as part of my "Gargoyles" 25th anniversary review. New thoughts on "Her Brother's Keeper" (ones that came to mind when I rewatched it).

Broadway's concerned remarks about Elisa near the beginning (including "If cops were meant to fly, they'd have wings") indicates that Elisa had shared with them how she was following Xanatos by helicopter before embarking on it.

Derek's remark to Diane that working for Xanatos "could be the start of a whole new career for me" feels all the truer in hindsight - though he obviously wasn't thinking in terms of running an underground sanctuary for Mutates and homeless people when he said it.

I spotted the clock's hands moving at one point in the episode; apparently Lexington had indeed gotten it working again.

Greg responds...

But was it telling the correct time?

Response recorded on August 13, 2021

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stranger59 writes...

Just a few questions regarding Gargoyle teeth and dental care:

1: Can they get cavities and chipped/missing teeth, or is that something the stone sleep's healing properties would take care of?

2: If they need any dental care at all, did Xanatos ever arrange a modern dentist for them, and would such care extend their lives the way it would for a Medieval human given such care?

3: Do gargoyles have baby and adult teeth as humans do, one set throughout life, or some other arrangement?

Greg responds...

1. All of the above.

2. It hasn't happened as of 1997, anything else would be a spoiler.

2a. Good dental care is important for all.

3. Haven't thought about it, honestly.

Response recorded on August 12, 2021

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Todd Jensen writes...

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of "Gargoyles", I watched "Awakening" (all five episodes) on DVD yesterday, and thought I'd share a few things I hadn't noticed before (or hadn't noticed enough) that struck my fancy.

1. When Goliath sends the trio and Bronx to the rookery, Bronx looks ashamed of himself - in a way that reminds me of times when dogs I'd known looked guilty over something.

2. When Xanatos tells Owen "Make the offer now" at the ruins of Castle Wyvern, I suddenly wondered whom he bought Castle Wyvern from. I won't ask here - it's obviously a "No spoilers" answer - but I was struck by the fact that this was the first time I wondered that.

3. I spotted what looked like a "foliate head" (or "Green Man"-type head) carved over the archway the gargoyles are standing beneath when the Commandos showed up in the courtyard, and a couple of winged figures on one of the tapestries. (I'll have to check for other unusual and remarkable features of the castle in later episodes, as well.)

4. Many of the human characters repeatedly call the gargoyles "beasts", both in the medieval scenes and the modern (Princess Katharine's protest at allowing beasts in the dining hall, Mary calling the gargoyles beasts, Bruno asking "Where's the beast?" while pursuing Goliath and Elisa).

5. Goliath asks Elisa, when they first meet, "What were you doing in my castle?" Despite Xanatos having bought it, he clearly thinks of it as still his - as if laying pipe for the arc about the gargoyles having to leave the castle and Goliath resisting it.

Greg responds...

1. The dogs I've had get that shamed look based on my reprimanding tone more than based on what they've done. As opposed to the cats I've had (and have), who at best stare at me as if to ask, "Are you talking to me?"

2. An interesting question.

3. Art Direction was pretty awesome on the show.

4. All very intentional.

5. We tried to keep each character's POV clear.

Response recorded on August 12, 2021

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Roman writes...

Mr. Weisman,

One thing that has bugged me for years is the situation between Xanatos and the Mutates, particularly in the case of Derek Maza/Talon. Neither Xanatos nor Sevarius ever faced any major repercussions for what they did in ruining the lives of so many good people. Particularly, David never got any comeuppance for experimenting on Elisa’s brother and using him as a means to exercise control over her. And Sevarius never seems to suffer an overwhelmingly devastating defeat, or get his just desserts. In the Bad Guys SLG comics continuation, Sevarius’ manipulations drives a woman, Tasha, to suicide and he just gets away with that. And while it’s amazing that Talon and Maggie were able to find some measure of happiness, and are starting a family together (as Dr. Sato confirmed Maggie was pregnant), it feels like justice hasn’t really been served. One the one hand, in real life bad guys with money do get away with evil deeds all too often and in Gargoyles it makes for compelling, multilayered storytelling to have villains get away with it, but on the other hand it leaves a desire in the viewer to see some balancing of the scales. It’s satisfying to see characters reap what they sow. My question is: do David Xanatos and Sevarius ever get their comeuppance for the Mutates situation? We saw in the show that Xanatos gets a comeuppance for Thailog, but does he get one for Talon? Does Sevarius get what he deserves for what he did to Tasha? I’m a huge Gargoyles fan. It was the first show I watched as a kid and it’s still my favorite show today twenty years later. I look forward to rewatching it again when it launches on Disney+, and I’m hoping, like many other fans, for a continuation on the platform; just like YJ has been continued on DC Universe. You must get this a lot, but thank you for creating a show that is an essential part of my childhood. I also enjoy Spectacular Spider-Man and YJ (can’t wait till season 4), but they got nothing on Gargoyles.

Greg responds...

Justice has indeed never been served. Whether it will or not in the future is a spoiler, and I've been spoiler-opposed for years now.

Response recorded on August 12, 2021

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Ricky writes...

1. So I get the qualities Thailog inherited from Goliath and Xanatos but what do you think he got from Sevarius? Sorry if this is obvious but I just don't see it, is that why he might hold Sevarius in less regard than he does his other "fathers"?
2. Do you think Thailog holds Brentwood in more regard because he joined him of his own free will? Will he grant him more responsibilities like Xanatos does with Owen or will he get someone else to fulfill that role?
3. What does Thailog think about immortality? On the one hand I could see him being like Xanatos on the other I could see him adopt Nightstone Unlimited as a pseudo clan and achieve immortality that way maybe both? Great villain by the way so much like Xanatos and Goliath and yet so different at the same time.

Greg responds...

1. He's a performer, but, yes, I think he holds Sevarius in less regard than his other fathers.

2. Shari fulfills the Owen role for Thailog. But we'll have to wait and see how Brentwood fares with him.

3. Not sure I'm following your reasoning here.

Response recorded on July 26, 2021

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Eskarina writes...

Hi! English is not my native language, sorry for the mistakes in advance.
My questions:

1 - How really Xanatos and Demona meet? In the "The Awakening" Xanatos says that he brought her before than the other gargoyles and she woke up there. That it's obviously a lie. At that point, one suposes Xanatos knows more about Demona than he is telling.

2 - Didn't Xanatos knows Demona is already immortal in "City of Stone"? The suposed spell she cast, should stole a minute of life of all citizens watching the TV. If Xanatos knows she is immortal I can't see why Xanatos could think Demona will help him to get more years of life.

Maybe the questions are stupid? I watched the show in my language around three times, and there was some translation mistakes. Can you belive the hints about Owen being Puck was deleted? All of them. I'll rewatch in english someday.

Greg responds...

1. It was definitely a lie. But the truth is a spoiler.

2. He believed she was immortal because of the occasional reuse of that spell.

Not stupid questions at all. I'm sorry you had to work so hard to enjoy the show, but I'm glad you did and do.

Response recorded on July 09, 2021

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Emyy250 writes...

http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=9336
Do you feel like answering the first two questions now? Or maybe just the second one since it doesn't require research?

Greg responds...

At this point, I'd say these are all NO SPOILERS questions.

Response recorded on January 28, 2020

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Phoenician writes...

I was swimming through the S8 archives and noticed a Gargoyles question that's been asked before but never really had a chance to be answered (at least online).

From 2001: http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=2177

From 2013: http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=19262

Naturally, I'm curious myself now (and curious that I've never really wondered about it before tonight). So how many seasons and/or episodes was The Pack on the air?

Just to be thorough, I double checked the ol' This Day in Gargoyles' Universe History rambles from 2007-2008 and the posts relative to the on-air Pack program only refer to the day the television at the castle began airing episodes of The Pack on all stations all day and night long (http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?rid=644), the day of the live-performance engagement (http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?rid=645), and the aftermath of Wolf & Fox's arrest, leading to the show's cancellation (http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?rid=647) . . . all in the span of four days from November 3rd to November 6th, 1994.

Finally, I've been reading Cary Bates's and your work on The Fall and Rise of Captain Atom and I just finished World of Warcraft: Traveler! I thorougly enjoyed both and I (like so many others) cannot wait for Young Justice season three :D

Greg responds...

Thanks for the kind words!

The Pack had at least one season and had begun (at least) its second when the $#!^ hit the fan. I don't have Gargoyles materials here at my WB office, and I just can't remember if they had more than one full season. But I don't think so.

Response recorded on August 03, 2017

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Emily writes...

Hello again Mr. Weisman, I Just Got and read the first 6 issues of the 'Gargoyles' Comics, and here's 1 of the Curious Questions I do have related to them, though it's More like a 3 in 1 question if you don't mind

Between "Invitation Only" and "Bash" Why Does Xanatos Invite Margot Yale and her Husband to his castle? Since He surely does know that She's the Assistant District Attorney and the Adviser to the gargoyle taskforce and is Clearly Against the Gargoyles, doesn't he think it would be too risky because of the Rumors circulating that he's "harboring" the gargoyles? And Does Margot only accept the invitation to Find Proof of the rumors?

I don't know if it's just me, but she certainly seems like the kind of dirty D.A who'd take advantage of her position by any means to get what she wants

Greg responds...

There's nothing in what we've shown of Margot to indicate that she's dirty or corrupt. So I'd be careful with words like that.

I think the stated reasons given in the conversation between Xanatos and Hacker for inviting anyone would apply double to Margot in her position.

As for her showing up to snoop, clearly she didn't. She showed up to socialize with all the right people, including Judge Roebling and others. Whether or not she suspects Xanatos of harboring Gargoyles, she clearly couldn't imagine that he'd just be letting them walk around his party dressed like characters from Wizard of Oz.

Response recorded on May 08, 2017

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Emyy250 writes...

What year was Xanatos born?

Greg responds...

1955.

Response recorded on March 14, 2017

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FallenLegend writes...

Shows:Young Justice+Gargoyles

I recall you mentioned that the villains (the light) and David Xanatos didn't kill the heroes because they considered that would be a waste.

1.-What could they possible gain gain from keeping them alive? I mean in their reasoning.

Thank you Greg.

Greg responds...

It's all right on the screen. Look at all the times that they've USED the heroes. If what you saw in the episodes doesn't convince you, I don't know what I could say here that would.

Response recorded on November 09, 2016

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&#1053;&#1103;&#1096;&#1085;&#1099;&#1081; &#1050;&#1101;&#1082; writes...

Hello, Greg! I hope you're doing well.

1. So long after I've seen "The Mirror" episode for the first time, and I'm still deeply curious: what was Xanatos look like as a gargoyle? Preeeeeeetty interested. I know, that this is not the best question to be answered in writing, but if only briefly...

2. Episode "The Edge" starts with a sparring between Xanatos and Owen. And Owen gets the upper hand.
a) Why did Xanatos stopped the following sparring?
b) Was the purpose of sparrings with Owen in training him in hand-to-hand combat?

Greg responds...

1. I'll leave this to your imagination.

2a. Didn't he have an appointment?

2b. No, it was to maintain his edge.

Response recorded on October 13, 2016

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Mr. Joe writes...

Do you remember the Gargoyles board game that came with a VHS back in the 90s? In the beginning of the video, David Xanatos will taunt the players. One part I find humourous is when he laughs maniacally. It seems so out of character for him to do. Did that part bother you? We don't see Xanatos laugh in the show. In the video, he is laughing like a saturday morning cartoon villain.

Greg responds...

I remember it fondly. I don't particularly remember that bothering me. (I know I was there for the recording.) I'd have to look at it again to be sure.

Response recorded on October 03, 2016

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Anonymous writes...

In "Rock of Ages" the Stone of Destiny is seen talking to David Xanatos in Leith and King Arthur in the Lantern of the Abbey at the exact same time November 15, 1:06 PM GMT. Then on the next page, the time it's talking to Arthur changes to 1:07 AM GMT, twelve hours earlier. Was the first one a mistake or was it meant to drive home the point that the spirit of destiny can inhabit any vessel, even a supposedly fake one?

Greg responds...

I'm looking at the issue now.

It appears there is a typo for Arthur. He should be A.M. on both pages. It's very frustrating that I missed correcting that.

But there were no fake vessels. A rock is a rock. So that is part of the point - not of the error - but of the story.

Response recorded on September 09, 2016

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RexBlazer1 writes...

Hi Greg,

I'll try and keep this short, as I'm sure your busy and having things to do, but basically I would like your honest opinion on something. And no, don't worry, it's not about ideas for any of the things you've worked on, nor anything that I or others have written.

Anyway, I'm an aspiring writer who wants to make his own series, and there's an aspect of storytelling that I can't seem to decide on. You see, I have always felt that there are, primarily, two types of villains:

1. The kind who do bad things and don't care
2. The kind who believe that their actions are justified

Summarily, I can't seem to decide which one is worse, as it could really be argued either way. I've asked some friends what they think, and have gotten back different answers.

Admittedly, the self-justifying villain tends to fall under a trope that I have a disliking towards:

Knight Templar - a villain who is convinced that he/she is the hero.

And, after thinking about it, there is at least one thing to appreciate about the "bad and don't care" villains; at least they have no illusions about what they want or what they're doing. Plus, we've seen a lot of the self-justifying villains in recent years, to the point where I think it might be overused. Which is why I think a balance between the two needs to be met, as too much of one can get old fast.

But anyway, I mainly just wanted to ask which type of villain you think is worse; the "bad and don't care" kind, or the self-justifying kind?

Greg responds...

I take some issue with the reductive nature of your question. And so I think you're going about things the wrong way. It's not about which is worse. It's about what fits your character. Take, as an obvious example for this website, GARGOYLES.

We have two rather unique and memorable lead villains, DEMONA and XANATOS. I suppose you could reduce Xanatos to your definition of a type one villain. And I suppose you could reduce Demona to your type two. But there are moments when Xanatos thinks what he does is justified, and moments when Demona does a bad thing and just doesn't care. There are also moments when each has done truly heroic things.

The point I'm making is that a great villain is nothing more or less than a great CHARACTER. Write a character with consistency, backed by consistent motivation and history and I don't really care if he or she is type one, type two or type three. (Because, among other things, I doubt that there are truly only two types.)

Response recorded on September 08, 2016

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Paul writes...

What was Xanatos' contingency plan in case Goliath threw him off the edge of the Eyrie Building at the end of "Awakening, Part Five"?

Greg responds...

Don't know.

Response recorded on July 22, 2016

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Anonymous writes...

Why did Sevarius leave Gen-U-Tech for Nightstone Unlimited? Xanatos didn't want to lose him as a resource and he didn't become more ethical. Did Demona and Sevarius offer him more money? If so, isn't Xanatos rich enough to give Sevarius a raise? Did he decide to limit Sevarius' creative freedom? What happened?

Greg responds...

I'll leave the answer to that to your interpretation.

Response recorded on June 27, 2016

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NoOneSpecial writes...

I heard you got work a new project. Hope to enjoy in the three years' time when you answer these questions

1. When Puck went about creating his persona for Owen, how smart did he want Owen to be? Now Owen strikes me as the kind of guy who'd be very intelligent. I would be willing to hazard that he's almost as smart as his own boss. Was Puck just going by his observation of Preston Vogul when he set up Owen's intelligence?

I understand if this sounds muddled, but I'm not necessarily asking if Puck literally made himself smarter or dumber through magic. I'd assume that everything Puck knows, Owen also knows and vice versa. My question is how did Puck decide on Owen's intelligence?

2. Now I'm asking if Puck literally can make himself smarter or dumber through magic. We see Fae change their forms, so can they change their mentality to the same degree and just "give" themselves more knowledge? I mean, could Puck make himself a "super genius" if wanted or did he have to educate himself a little as Owen?

3. Why didn't Xanatos take Puck's original offer? I mean he was offering Xanatos a chance at immortally and he instead he chose Owen's service. Now I consider two reason.

The first is kinda obviously. Xanatos wouldn't trust Puck since he's a "trickster" and he would suspect some horrible twist to Puck's wish. On the other hand, Xanatos was willing to get Coyote, another trickster, to do the same thing. But then again, Xanatos had captured Coyote so maybe he thought he had better leverage.

I wouldn't have put it past Puck to have some kind of trick in mind if he gave Xanatos immortally. Of course maybe the real trick was in fact that Puck would have been true to his word and granted Xanatos immortally, no strings attached. Meaning Xanatos had in fact blown he's one perfect chance to be immortal. But that's just a theory

The second reason I have, is also part of my question. Does Xanatos consider Owen's service to be invaluable?

4. When did Xanatos become aware of the existence of magic and the supernatural? Was when he first met Demona or when he met Puck? Was he sceptical of it at first?

5. Puck once said that he could make Goliath love Demona again. "Piece of cake" as he said. So could he have actually made Goliath fall in love with Demona or would it just be a spell more akin to the one Demona used to put Goliath under mind control?

Greg responds...

Just a year plus, thank you very much.

1. Probably, but he cheated. Went with his own intelligence, for the most part. Harnessed.

2. I dunno.

3. Both.

4. No Spoilers.

5. Closer to the latter but less obvious.

Response recorded on May 16, 2016

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Max writes...

Hey Greg! My question is in regards to the letters sent by Xanatos in Vows:
1. What details were included in the first letter? Did he just say "here is a coin" or were stock tips or other future knowledge included?
2. Who did young David think sent the letter? Could someone as intelligent as X really leave that alone for 20 years?
3. Are the letters constructs of the time stream or out of David's head? Did he read (or copy) the originals before traveling back in time?

Greg responds...

1. Just the coin, basically, as I recall. It's been a while since I've rewatched the episode.

2. He never knew. He may have searched on and off for an answer, but didn't find one until the second letter came.

3. He probably had them memorized. So the content may in fact have been born with the time stream.

Response recorded on May 06, 2016

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Todd Jensen writes...

I've read the synopsis of the radio play crossover you made for "Gargoyles", "The Spectacular Spider-Man", and "Young Justice" (it'd be neat if you could put up the script for it at "Ask Greg" as you did for "Religious Studies 101", and noted that, near the end, you had Batman asking Goliath to join the Justice League. Now, the obvious reason why you had Batman be the one approaching Goliath was for the joke about Xanatos trying to get both Batman and Iron Man to join his club for rich guys with fancy equipment. But I remember how, back when you were making "Gargoyles", you were concerned that people might see it as a rip-off of "Batman: TAS" (to the point where you even drew up a list of differences between the two series); did you choose Batman for that role as a sort of callback to that?

Greg responds...

Not consciously.

Response recorded on April 22, 2016


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Steel-Goliath writes...

I wonder you said that kaijudo was complex to write even for you could you clarify also what was it like to write for the choten any similarities to writing for xanatos

Greg responds...

There are a lot of characters, multiple worlds within worlds, lots of rules, lots of alliances. It's complex. Not undoable. And not necessarily hard to understand while viewing. But it's a lot to keep track of while writing. Even for me, and I specialize in juggling this kind of thing. That's not meant as a criticism. I think the series is a blast. But it was a challenging show to get my head around as a freelancer.

I suppose there are some low level similarities between Xanatos and the Choten. Certainly, they both have complex agendas. But I suppose you'll forgive me if I see more differences than similarities and believe that Xanatos is at a different level of sophistication in terms of his goals. In terms of what he cares about and especially what he DOESN'T care about. He's less... obvious. (But of course, I'm biased.)

Response recorded on October 09, 2014

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EXALT writes...

I rewatched "Sanctuary" recently, and I have a little doubt. When Goliath sees Thailog, he doesn't seem really surprised (I mean, he is suprised to see him there, but he doesn't seem suprised to see him alive): did Xanatos alert him, somewhere between "Double Jeopardy" and "Avalon Part 1", that their "child" was probably still alive?

Greg responds...

No.

Response recorded on September 03, 2014

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DENVER COMIC CON REVISED & UPDATED #3

ONE MORE TIME!! This looks to be as final a revision as it's going to get for Denver Comic Con website (http://denvercomiccon.com/), before I head for the airport in a couple minutes. But, again, follow me on TWITTER @Greg_Weisman to stay up-to-the-minute on when and where I'll be.

DENVER COMIC CON LATEST PANEL, INTERVIEW & SIGNING SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, JUNE 13th, 2014

10:30am - 11:20am - ART OF THE PITCH in ROOM 110/112.
Victor Cook, Greg Guler and myself will be talking about pitching and selling animated telvision series to the Powers That Be.

11:30am - 12:30pm - SIGNING at my BOOTH 122 on the main floor.
I'll be signing my novel RAIN OF THE GHOSTS throughout the weekend for $10 cash. (That $10 includes the book, a personalized signature and copies of the original development art by Kuni Tomita for the television version of Rain that never was.) I also have a half-dozen copies of Young Justice teleplays, which I'll sell (and sign) for $20 cash. I'll also sign anything else you bring and put in front of me for free - especially if you buy my book. ;)

12:50pm - 1:20pm - INTERVIEW with Tim Beyers of MOTLEY FOOL in the MEDIA LOUNGE.

1:30pm - 2:20pm - CARTOON VOICES I in the MAIN EVENTS ROOM.
I'll be moderating this panel, which features Kevin Conroy, Jim Cummings, Michael Dorn, Jennifer Hale & Veronica Taylor.

3:30pm - 4:30pm - SIGNING at my BOOTH 122 on the main floor.

4:45pm - 5:35pm - YOUNG JUSTICE in the MINI-MAIN ROOM.
This one includes myself (writer-producer, voice actor) & Christopher Jones (YJ companion comic book artist).

5:35pm - 6:05pm - OPENING CEREMONIES in the MAIN EVENTS ROOM.

7:00pm - 10:00pm - FOUR COLOR MIXER at Breckinridge Brewery/Hilton Garden Inn Denver Downtown.

SATURDAY, JUNE 14th, 2014

9:35am - 10:00am - INTERVIEW with BEYOND THE TROPE at my table at Booth 122.

10:00am - 10:20am - INTERVIEW with WESTWORD at my table at Booth 122.

10:30am - 11:20am - RAIN OF THE GHOSTS in ROOM 201.
I'll be reading from and discussing my new novels, Rain of the Ghosts & Spirits of Ash and Foam.

11:45am - 12:35pm - ANIMATION PROFESSIONALS in ROOM 201
I'm moderating this panel, which features Chris Beaver, Victor Cook, Greg Guler, Derek Hunter, Christy Marx, & Jan Scott-Frasier.

3:00pm - 3:50pm - SIGNING at my BOOTH 122 on the main floor.

4:00pm - 4:50pm - GARGOYLES 20th ANNIVERSARY in the MAIN EVENTS ROOM.
This is a big one, with me (writer-producer-creator), Victor Cook (storyboard artist), Jim Cummings (voice of Dingo), Jonathan Frakes (voice of David Xanatos), Greg Guler (character designer), Salli Richardson-Whitfield (voice of Elisa Maza) and Marina Sirtis (voice of Demona) .

5:00pm - 6:00pm - SIGNING at my BOOTH 122 on the main floor.

SUNDAY, JUNE 15th, 2014

9:30am - 10:20am - INTERVIEW with EXAMINER.COM at my BOOTH 122.

10:30am - 11:20am - THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN in the MINI-MAIN ROOM.
Includes myself (writer-producer-voice actor), Victor Cook (director-producer), Jim Cummings (voice of Crusher Hogan) & Greg Guler (artist).

1:30pm - 2:30pm - SIGNING at my BOOTH 122 on the main floor.

2:45pm - 3:35pm - CARTOON VOICES II in the MAIN EVENTS ROOM.
Again, I'm moderating for Robert Axelrod, Kimberly Brooks, Jennifer Hale & April Stewart.

4:00pm - 5:00pm - SIGNING at my BOOTH 122 on the main floor.

In addition to the times listed above, I'll often just be hanging out at my table, so stop by. Attend a panel, buy a book, say hello!


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DENVER COMIC CON REVISED & UPDATED #2

Okay, so I just took a look at the Denver Comic Con website (http://denvercomiccon.com/), and the schedule there doesn't always match up with the schedule I was sent. I'll make adjustments below, but what this really means is that I'm not 100% sure where I'll be at any given moment. I will be tweeting throughout the weekend though, so follow me @Greg_Weisman to stay up-to-the-minute on when and where I'll be.

DENVER COMIC CON LATEST PANEL, INTERVIEW & SIGNING SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, JUNE 13th, 2014

10:30am - 11:20am - RAIN OF THE GHOSTS in ROOM 201
I'll be reading from and discussing my new novels, Rain of the Ghosts & Spirits of Ash and Foam.

11:30am - 12:30pm - SIGNING at my BOOTH 122 on the main floor.
I'll be signing my novel RAIN OF THE GHOSTS throughout the weekend for $10 cash. (That $10 includes the book, a personalized signature and copies of the original development art by Kuni Tomita for the television version of Rain that never was.) I also have a half-dozen copies of Young Justice teleplays, which I'll sell (and sign) for $20 cash. I'll also sign anything else you bring and put in front of me for free - especially if you buy my book. ;)

12:50pm - 1:20pm - INTERVIEW with Tim Beyers of MOTLEY FOOL in the MEDIA LOUNGE

1:30pm - 2:20pm - CARTOON VOICES I in the MAIN EVENTS ROOM
I'll be moderating this panel, which features Kevin Conroy, Jim Cummings, Michael Dorn, Jennifer Hale & Veronica Taylor.

3:30pm - 4:30pm - SIGNING at my BOOTH 122 on the main floor.

4:45pm - 5:35pm - YOUNG JUSTICE in the MINI-MAIN ROOM
This one includes myself (writer-producer, voice actor) & Christopher Jones (YJ companion comic book artist).

7:00pm - 10:00pm - FOUR COLOR MIXER at Breckinridge Brewery/Hilton Garden Inn Denver Downtown

SATURDAY, JUNE 14th, 2014

9:35am - 10:00am - INTERVIEW with BEYOND THE TROPE at my table at Booth 122.

10:00am - 10:50am - INTERVIEW with WESTWORD at my table at Booth 122.

11:45am - 12:35pm - ANIMATION PROFESSIONALS in ROOM 201
I'm moderating this panel, which features Chris Beaver, Victor Cook, Greg Guler, Derek Hunter, Christy Marx, & Jan Scott-Frasier.

3:00pm - 3:50pm - SIGNING at my BOOTH 122 on the main floor.

4:00pm - 4:50pm - GARGOYLES 20th ANNIVERSARY in the MAIN EVENTS ROOM
This is a big one, with me (writer-producer-creator), Victor Cook (storyboard artist), Jim Cummings (voice of Dingo), Jonathan Frakes (voice of David Xanatos), Greg Guler (character designer), Salli Richardson-Whitfield (voice of Elisa Maza) and Marina Sirtis (voice of Demona) .

5:00pm - 6:00pm - SIGNING at my BOOTH 122 on the main floor.

SUNDAY, JUNE 15th, 2014
9:30am - 10:20am - INTERVIEW with EXAMINER.COM at my BOOTH 122.

10:30am - 11:20am - THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN in the MINI-MAIN ROOM
Includes myself (writer-producer-voice actor), Victor Cook (director-producer), Jim Cummings (voice of Crusher Hogan) & Greg Guler (artist).

1:30pm - 2:30pm - SIGNING at my BOOTH 122 on the main floor.

2:45pm - 3:35pm - CARTOON VOICES II in the MAIN EVENTS ROOM
Again, I'm moderating for Robert Axelrod, Kimberly Brooks, Jennifer Hale & April Stewart.

4:00pm - 5:00pm - SIGNING at my BOOTH 122 on the main floor.

In addition to the times listed above - and especially since I'm no longer 100% sure of my schedule - I'll often just be hanging out at my table, so stop by. Attend a panel, buy a book, say hello!


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Up Next: DENVER COMIC CON

Frank Paur and I had a great time at the GARGOYLES 20th ANNIVERSARY Panel at Califur this past Sunday. Saw a couple old friends, and talked for TWO HOURS on the creation, development and production of Gargoyles.

Up next on the #GARGOYLES20 tour, stop #2: DENVER COMIC CON. http://denvercomiccon.com/

Here's my schedule (which pretty much includes all my favorite things):

FRIDAY, JUNE 13th, 2014
1:30pm - 2:20pm - CARTOON VOICES in the MAIN ROOM
I'll be moderating this panel, which features Michael Dorn, Kevin Conroy, Jim Cummings, Jennifer Hale & Veronica Taylor.

4:45pm - 5:35pm - YOUNG JUSTICE in the MINI-MAIN ROOM
This one includes myself (writer-producer, voice actor), Andrew Robinson (writer) & Christopher Jones (YJ companion comic book artist).

SATURDAY, JUNE 14th, 2014
11:00am - 11:50am - RAIN OF THE GHOSTS in ROOM 201
I'll be reading from and discussing my new novels, Rain of the Ghosts & Spirits of Ash and Foam.

12:15pm - 1:05pm - ANIMATION ARTISTS in ROOM 201
I'm moderating this panel, which features Jan Scott-Frasier, Derek Hunter, Christy Marx, Greg Guler, Victor Cook & Chris Beaver.

2:45pm - 3:35pm - GARGOYLES 20th ANNIVERSARY in the MAIN ROOM
This is a big one, with me (writer-producer-creator), Jonathan Frakes (voice of David Xanatos), Marina Sirtis (voice of Demona), Salli Richardson-Whitfield (voice of Elisa Maza), Jim Cummings (voice of Dingo), Greg Guler (character designer) and Victor Cook (storyboard artist).

SUNDAY, JUNE 15th, 2014
10:30am - 11:20am - THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN in the MINI-MAIN ROOM
Includes myself (writer-producer-voice actor), Victor Cook (director-producer), Jim Cummings (voice of Crusher Hogan), Greg Guler (artist) & Andrew Robinson (writer).

1:30pm - 2:20pm - CARTOON VOICES in the MAIN ROOM
Again, I'm moderating for Jennifer Hale, Robert Axelrod, Kimberly Brooks & April Stewart.

In addition, I'll be signing my novel RAIN OF THE GHOSTS at my booth throughout the weekend for $10 cash. (That $10 includes the book, a personalized signature and copies of the original development art by Kuni Tomita for the television version of Rain that never was.) I'll also sign anything else you bring and put in front of me for free.

So stop by. Attend a panel, buy a book, say hello!


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NoOneSpecial writes...

Okay so I have to be REALLY careful about how I ask this question. If you cant understand my meaning then its probably my own fault and for that I'm sorry, but I thought this was a very interesting concept. It's about xanatos's letter to himself.
Here we go. So in Vows, Xanatos travels back in time and sends himself the coin that he will eventually use to amass his fortune. He also sends a letter that is to be delivered to himself twenty years after the coin which explains how he has to get the coin, which as he said in the episode he received that very letter a week before the wedding. So I guess the best way I can phrase this is, is that the EXACT same letter and by same I mean the same piece of paper. The way I see it that letter is over a thousand years old and must be pretty worn(unless of course it was carefully preserved). So when xanatos gets the letter, does he just send back the same one he got or copy the information on a new piece of paper and send that back instead? If its the first one then that piece of paper must keep accumulating age to it. He sends it once, its over a thousand years old. He sends it a second time, its another thousand years old, and so on. So the piece of paper could eventually become so worn that it would be either unreadable or destroyed. So does xanatos just make a new letter every time he gets it or send back the one he received? PS loved rain of ghosts, hope you get to make all nine books.

Greg responds...

It was carefully preserved by the Illuminati.

In the past, he wrote the original. He doesn't reuse it.

Glad you liked Rain! If you haven't already, could you do me a favor and write up a review on Amazon?

Response recorded on May 13, 2014

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JC writes...

Hello, Mr. Wiesman,

I have a quick question about Dr. Sevaris and his mutate craetions. First, I'd like to say that even as a child I loved the idea of "mutants" that were composed of several animal species (human, bat, cat, & eel), rather than the simple one animal/human hybrid, like the TMNTs.
I was just wondering why you deviated from that approach with every mutate Sevaris made after the Labyrinth clan?
Now Wolf I can understsnd, seeing as how he was the only willing volunteer, and well, his name is simply "Wolf."
But why simply an alligator mutant, a turtle mutant, a woodlouse mutant, & an armadillo mutant, when a combo of all those animals would lead to mare of a varity in abilities (exept a woodlouse and armadillo wpuld be a bit redundant), and not seem like something that has, literally, been done a dozen times - especially the turtle and aligator mutant in particular. As soon as I saw those two, I thought to myself: "they might as well learn ninjitsu and get it over with."

On a related topic; it's been shown that Dr. Sevaris uses human test subjects to create his mutates. But does he need the actual animal(s) they are mutated into and combine them, or just use that/those animal's DNA?

Thank you.

JC

Greg responds...

1. I think during his Labyrinth experiments, he was testing features first. Mixing and matching might come later. Keep in mind, that his marching orders from Xanatos on the original mutates were specifically to create something as close to a Gargoyle as possible.

2. He just needs DNA samples.

Response recorded on May 08, 2014

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Arlo writes...

Hi, Greg. Congratulations on your new book, and I hope all is going well!

In "Metamorphosis," Elisa clearly was deeply hurt by what Xanatos had done, and she promised him he was "going down, no matter what it takes."

Has she actually done anything to work towards this end, and is she still working towards it as of the last issue of the SLG comic? She clearly fought to get Derek back in "The Cage," but I don't think we've seen any indication that she's actually working towards bringing Xanatos down. Is she still working towards this goal, and why or why not?

Greg responds...

I think her resolve is dozy for the time being.

Response recorded on April 18, 2014

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Rebecca writes...

Hi Greg,

Very recently discovered Gargoyles and it's FANTASTIC! I mainlined the entire thing in about a month and can't wait to rewatch it. What an amazing story you told.

I had a question about Talon and the other Mutates. I've searched the archives and haven't been able to find the answer to this specific question, so I hope this isn't a repeat:

When Derek was originally transformed it made sense that he didn't want to go to the police because he still thought Xanatos was working to cure him. But once he realised that Xanatos was behind it all, I'm confused about why he didn't go to the police at THAT point?

I understand that they had come to accept their forms by then, but as a former police officer (even if he had some issues with it as a career for himself), I'm trying to work out why Talon wouldn't want to make the police aware of what had happened. The Mutates themselves are physical evidence of Sevarius' illegal experiments. Even if Xanatos was able to hide the financial trail so it wouldn't be possible to prove he'd been funding Sevarius while he was on the run, then at least the authorities would be after Sevarius?

My assumption is that Xanatos made some sort of report about Sevarius when he originally "discovered" his illegal work (though hiding the existence of the Mutates), so the authorities are already after him, albeit with limited and incorrect information. Without any way to prove Xanatos' ongoing connection, the Mutates decided not to press the matter as they were afraid of being turned into lab rats again if they "went public"?

Would that be accurate? It just surprised me because the show often did talk about police procedure and WHY Xanatos couldn't be charged with things, etc., or characters' motivations that this one's been bugging me.

Thank you for your thoughts, and looking forward to Star Wars: Rebels!

Greg responds...

As you surmised...

1. The Mutates, collectively, don't want to become trapped in someone else's lab. Whether it's a government lab or that of another mad scientist.

2. Sevarius has already gone underground.

3. Xanatos covered his tracks.

Response recorded on April 11, 2014

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Brian writes...

Hi Greg,
To be honest I hadn't followed your work religiously until Young Justice and now I can't get enough. As a theater person I really fell in love with Gargoyles rewatching it now as a 19 year old and noticed so many references to pop culture and to my delight Shakespeare.

I recently purchased Gargoyles in its entirety on DVD as well as the comic continuation. Watching it from start to finish as an adult I saw so much character growth and depth that is often missing from live action television and for that I thank you. Now please don't take this as a criticism, because it is not it is simply my observation about the World Tour arch. I did enjoy it the first time around as I saw great stories. The one thing that I don't want to say bothered me because it really didn't bother me, I was more curious than anything else. Why did many of the original regular characters seem to be sidelined as a result of the arch. I guess for me characters like Demona, Hudson, Lexington, and Xanatos all seemed to be thrust to the side in favor of Goliath and Company. My question is was that intentional or just the way the story worked itself out?

Furthermore my next question is about Xanatos' change of heart regarding the Gargoyles. When looking at what the Gargoyles did to save Alexander the change makes perfect sense to be and I even admire David for that honorable quality. However, when comparing his actions in the Gathering to his behavior in Cloud Fathers, I find the change slightly out of left field. In Cloud Fathers, Xanatos admits to clichéd villainy and in several other appearances his actions towards Goliath and Co. felt so amoral that calling a permanent truce seemed as though it wouldn't have lasted. I guess my question is this do you see Xanatos as so indebted to Goliath that he would never hurt them again or is he still willing to harm them if they threaten his endeavors?

Thanks so much for great storytelling and looking forward to Rebels,
Brian

Greg responds...

1. Inevitably, if we do a journey story, we're going to spend more screen time with those on the journey.

2. It depends on one's definition of harm, I suppose.

Response recorded on January 27, 2014

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Endless Strategy writes...

Why didn't Xanatos try to capture the Kachina Coyote again? Did it go to The Gathering immediately after "Cloud Fathers?" Because if not, he had a couple weeks still before The Gathering. Even if the Tribal Police shooed him off, could he not have sent Coyote and a few other robots to destroy the soil carving without implicating himself?

Greg responds...

He could have, and maybe he did - if that makes you happy.

Response recorded on January 07, 2014

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Endless Strategy writes...

Why doesn't Xanatos make his Steel Clan more intelligent? Both Coyote and his Macbeth-bots have proven to be a tremendous improvement over the Steel Clan, in-part because of their more sophisticated programming: why not apply some form of that programming to the Steel Clan?

Greg responds...

I don't think the Steel Clan is very far behind the Macbeth robots. As for Coyote, you may not want more than one of him...

Response recorded on January 07, 2014

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Riker+Troi writes...

I love Xanatos and Demona as much as I love Riker and Troi. I know they'll never get together or anything but does Xanatos at least think Demona is attractive?

Greg responds...

Sure.

Response recorded on December 09, 2013

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Everything Geek Podcast INTERVIEW

I was interviewed on the Everything Geek Podcast here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idfnqNo-rn8

I discuss my "secret origins", The Spectacular Spider-Man, Gargoyles, Star Wars Rebels, Young Justice and more.

Check it out!

(But of course I totally forgot to mention Rain of the Ghosts at all, darnit!)


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Merlin writes...

What were Xanatos's original intentions with the Pack? He said he created them to be far more than a TV show and he sicced them on Goliath to see how good they were and to also test Goliath.

But how long were they on the air before this? He couldn't have always intended to use them as a test for Goliath, so what were his original intentions there when he created them to be far more than a TV show?

Greg responds...

To be his operatives.

Response recorded on November 27, 2013


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