Denver Comic Con 2014 – Gargoyles 20th Anniversary Reunion

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Panel Name: Gargoyles 20th Anniversary Reunion

Topic: Q&A with cast, crew and the creator of Gargoyles

Featured Guests: Greg Weisman, Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis, Jim Cummings, Salli Richardon-Whitfield, Greg Guler, and Vic Cook

There are and have been a lot of anniversary events this year and one Denver Comic Con decided to cover was the 20th anniversary of Gargoyles. It worked perfectly since another was the 25th anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation, which goes right with this as the entire Star Trek cast, other than Patrick Stewart, did a voice at some point during this series. This panel only had Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis as they played main villains in the series but the panel also included, Greg Guler, Vic Cook, Jim Cummings, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, and the creator, Greg Weisman. Greg W was supposed to moderate the panel but if anybody knows Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis and most of the Star Trek: TNG crew, you know nobody is in charge when they are in the panel.

Frakes pretty much took control of the panel and there was not much from anyone else but Marina Sirtis, occasionally Greg Weisman, and little things from everyone else. This aside, It still was very entertaining and gave us all as deep of a look into Gargoyles we could get with Frakes and Sirtis going nuts the whole time. The series itself was made by Disney and although you can see things like The Lion King and Donald Duck displayed on televisions in select episodes, Disney did not have much control over the series itself (that is until Disney destroyed it for the Goliath Chronicles). You can definitely see influences from Disney, as well as how Goliath has similarities from every child’s worst nightmare from Fantasia, the demon Chernabog.

Even with Disney making it and ultimately destroying it with what can honestly be called an entirely different series with Goliath Chronicles since the staff and crew were pretty much entirely different. A lot of the themes and ideas from the great two original seasons the show had such as Shakespearean references are what made the show great and that much more wonderful for children to watch all seemed lost within this supposed “Third” season Disney made. Shakespeare had such a big impact on the show that we had characters of the Weird Sisters, and Macbeth, but many other historical and literal references such as King Arthur, which made this not only a great fantasy series but took so much stuff kids should learn and set things up so that they would actually seek out who these people were furthering their interest in learning and reading, I am looking at you Anansi, or LeVar Burton as he is known outside of Gargoyles.

Now, the final thing to mention was there was talk of a live action Gargoyles film and Greg Weisman actually told us all it may happen but Disney has a different script of Scottish gargoyles coming to life in New York and working with a female cop and it is not Gargoyles (This type of copying with no credit sickens me). However, after the initial mention Marina Sirtis made sure to mention that if any fans want anything, all you have to do is bombard the studios that own the properties. In a day and age where fans have brought back Family Guy, Futurama, Arrested Development and more because of their constant badgering of the studios has proven useful and ultimately shows that there is always a chance something can come back after death, at least in the world of television. Hopefully, if this film does get made, we can have another Star Trek reunion and maybe Patrick Stewart could finally make his Gargoyles performance which he would do according to Marina Sirtis because as she said, “Patrick is a whore now and he would do just about anything.”

“Respect My Craft” – Greg Weisman

In this consumer-based industry, it can be easy to forget the years of hard work that the people in the business put in. Behind every panel, it takes a skilled writer, artist, inker and colorist to make the product complete. Behind each scene goes hours of preparation. Hush Comics’ weekly article “Respect My Craft” will dive into the history of these comic book and pop culture greats that will hopefully give a new perspective on how the men and women behind the pen (or stylus) contribute to the collective awesome-ness of the nerd world, or at least give you a reason to invest in their work.

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Name: Greg Weisman

Profession: Producer, Writer, Author

Notable Work: Gargoyles, Star Wars Rebels, The Spectacular Spider-Man, Young Justice, Rain of the Ghosts (novel)

“I’m working with a lot of other great people, and there’s something incredibly exciting and thrilling about having those other great minds and incredible, talented individuals to bang off of and bounce ideas and create something that’s greater than the sum of any one of our parts.” – Greg Weisman

 

Denver Comic-Con draws ever closer!  It’s time to bring you another “Respect My Craft” for yet one more awesome guest, Greg Weisman.  Weisman is a heavy hitter producer for the best type of TV viewing a person could hope to see on a Saturday morning.  That’s right people, I’m talking cartoons.  His resumé of involvement includes work on: The Spectacular Spider-Man, W.I.T.C.H., Young Justice League, and a lot more.  His real claim to fame is accredited to the popular 90’s Disney show, Gargoyles. I’m going to gush on that in just a moment.  Weisman’s influence in media-entertainment continues to grow as he is also executive producer the highly anticipated new animated Star Wars TV show titled Rebels.  This guy firmly has my childhood heart (…okay, AND my adulthood heart).

 

Weisman… is a wise man

 

Before storming the cartoon programming scene Weisman’s pursuits were a little bit different.  Holding degrees from both Stanford and the University of Southern California, Greg originally had intentions to be an English composition professor.  He did, in fact, teach for a time.  His appreciation for the art of literature and story is endless.  Influenced significantly by William Shakespeare, Weisman elected to base every character in Gargoyles from a Shakespearean character.  His early career eventually landed him at DC studios working an entry level editorial position, or as Weisman describes “Xerox-boy.”  Nonetheless this aided his segue into Disney and Warner Bother studios.

 

 

Weisman busy on the set of Star Wars Rebels, but still reppin’ Gargoyles!

 

Night has fallen and lightning is rampant, the stone model pigeons on my balcony have suddenly come alive and are now soaring through the night sky and glorious wings of feathers.  I guess that’s my queue to dive into reflections of Weisman’s prize work, Gargoyles!  I feel sorry for anyone who didn’t grow up in the 90’s and missed the brilliance of this show (Note: Luckily for you, you can catch most of the first two seasons for free on YouTube).  In a recent interview when asked what his dream project is, Weisman, without hesitation, stated that it would be to work on Gargoyles again.  “Gargoyles is my real baby.  It’s hard to top that” says Weisman.  This speaks volumes considering that Weisman has been hired as executive producer for Star Wars Rebels, a job some other renowned producers would fight a Gargoyle for.  Weisman is so dedicated to the Gargoyles franchise that his primary fan-focused outreach site is a tab on the Gargoyles website!  I could type quite a few pages on the nostalgia I feel when thinking about Weisman’s debut creation.  Instead, I’ll highly recommend that you watch/re-watch the series.  It may sound cliché, but his characters are full of personality.  Not always an easy feat to achieve in an animated setting.

Weisman’s been able to keep consistency through the years.  He’s produced and written with the same high level of captivity on some of the most popular animated series in the past decade.  In addition to the first list above, he’s worked on: Men In Black (the animated series), Kim Possible, Ben 10, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Roughnecks: The Starship Trooper Chronicles, and loads more still!  Weisman has lead creative efforts on various comic series (such as the Gargoyles comics) and even dabbled in voice acting on some of his more recent shows.  Weisman – short of talent?  I think not.

 

The coolest cartoon of the 90’s

 

Like any great creator, Weisman enjoys taking on new challenges.  The collective fandom of the Star Wars universe is thrilled to see a veteran like Weisman holding the next big thing for the Galaxy Far, Far Away in his hands.  Rebels is scheduled to premiere this fall on Disney XD (check your programing packages folks!).  This series will set the tone for the Disney-Star Wars era.  Fans will rave or rage for at least a year, awaiting the Episode VII release in 2015, all depending the success or failure of Rebels.  No pressure, Weisman.  All outlooks look positive at this point in time.  On his involvement with the sci-fi classic Weisman says,  “I love the Star Wars franchise, in particular Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope and Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, which is very close to the time period we are focusing on in Rebels. It’s really like a dream come true.”

 

Young Justice Producers: Brandon Vietti & Greg Weisman

 

What is likely his most out-of-the-box pursuit is the work he’s done on the bookshelf.  Late last year, Weisman published a novel titled Rain of the Ghosts.  The premise involves a girl that lives near the Bermuda Triangle and develops the ability to see and communicate with ghosts.  She becomes enthralled with the various things she sees and hears, even making companions with a few of the specters.  On the surface, it may seem that this is a new move for Greg.  In actuality, the first draft of this book was written more than ten years ago!  It’s been on ongoing project for Weisman – something that he’s always wanted to share.  After chipping away at it for some years (he’s been a little distracted making prolific animated television and stuff), Weisman made a big push to polish it to his liking and get it on the shelves!  His vision for this character extends far past this first book.  Weisman’s already written the second book in the series.  It’s set to be available early this July.

 

I’d be happy too if I got to produce a Star War TV show!

 

Greg Weisman is a geek at heart.  And like he says in the opening quote, he loves collaboration.  He’s successfully merged two of the most paramount passions of the Hush team – community and cool stuff!!  That’s why we’re so excited to have Weisman join the band of creators, artists and actors gracing the streets of the Mile High city in just a few days!  May The Force be with you when you arrive in Denver, Weisman!

None of the media in this article belongs to Hush Comics; it all belongs to their respective properties. Join us tomorrow as we continue our countdown to Denver Comic Con with horror/action movie legend, Bruce Campbell.

The Boondocks Review “Good Times” S4E2 and “Breaking Granddad” S4E3

I’ve been trying to get my faith back in The Boondocks lately by trying to watch and comprehend the last two episodes, “Good Times” and “Breaking Granddad.” Like i said in my last review, I feel that this iconic show is suffering a slight fall from grace, slowly tipping off the pedestal that it has once stood upon. These McGruder-less episodes at least are enough to get a little chuckle out of me, but when the show ends, I feel like questioning why it happened at all in the first place..

The last two episodes seemed to follow an actual storyline, something I haven’t ever seen The Boondocks do before. This gave me a decent excuse to procrastinate writing for a little bit (don’t tell my editor) [Editor’s note: yeah, smooth move, Jojo]. The show normally jumps into the plot like any other adult cartoon and takes off from there. This is a rather interesting approach, bringing a different flavor to the mix.

Episode two of the fourth season, “Good Times,” was all about Robert Freeman’s the fall from wealth. Having lost all his money due to poor financial education and a scheme from adjustable mortgage rates, he has found himself in a substantial amount of debt. Robert is forced to get a car wash job – already hinting at a Breaking Bad-like plot satire – under Uncle Ruckus (no relation), rent out his house to unruly guests (including guest star Eddie Griffith) while sleeping in the garage and even getting a loan from Mr. Wuncler’s mobster son. That family is no good; this episode marks the first appearance of Ed Wuncler II, and while he looks like a nicer guy than either his dad, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree here. He tricks Granddad (not like that was a challenge) into signing a loan with 150% APR, and then offers them a way out of the millions of dollars of debt by quite literally selling themselves into slavery.

I was at least pleased to see some valid social commentary in “Good Times,” as the mortgage bubble bursting is getting the full satirical treatment from The Boondocks. When banks shoveled out high-interest, entrapping home loans to the uneducated, millions of families lost their homes. The show does a decent job of showing how imposing banks were and portrays their willingness to exploit the uneducated for monetary gain. It was only a taste of instant vintage Boondocks, though, as the show took it from a point of reflection and turned it into the butt of a poor joke – something that Aaron McGruder had a skill of avoiding.

Next, in the third episode, “Breaking Granddad,” the Freemans are suffering from the events of “Good Times.” Robert decides to go out on a date to take his mind off things, but as he gets ready to go, realizes that he has no pomade for his hair – or whatever hair the old man has left. After going on his pointless venture, he finds a substance in the garage that has the texture for hair gel and proceeds to using it. Well, turns out Huey was planning to use this “gel,” a highly explosive substance, to bomb the Wuncler’s residence to gain back their freedom. The substance has an unexpected side effect; it also grows and perms kinky hair over night.

Robert and Riley decide to box it up, sell it and reap the benefits. They eventually start getting successful in their endeavors and are bought out by a black hair “business” woman, Boss Wilona. Turns out she is actually a gang leader who is interested in the product to distribute. The product is later banned and becomes an illegal controlled substance, but the business woman insists on selling it. Eventually they beg Huey, the one who was against this scheme the entire time, to give them the ingredients to make it. He finally breaks and shows them how but they have to go to the dessert, with an RV to make this illegal substance. They meet with Boss, she double-crosses them and forces them to make more. Heis……er I mean Robert, cleverly escape the van and get away. They then walk home and that is the end, cue credits.

While “Good Times” presented was was a ghost of The Boondocks‘ former glory as a socio-poltically conscious show, “Breaking Granddad” was a lot more colorful and kind of reinforced the two part series kind of resurrecting the poltergeist of an episode.

Overall I still find this season lacking what made The Boondocks what it is, the hidden message. The Breaking Bad parody episode was much more bad and broken then it was Boondocks, missing the level commentary if could have hit pertaining to the black woman community and its self-esteem issues with hair. As you know hair perm has a massive amount of chemicals that should not even touch skin, but apparently a majority of black women would risk this in order to have that long, beautiful Euro type hair that is all over TV and movies.

The episode, although slightly informative, kind of reminded me of every other adult cartoon out there, choose a piece of highly popular pop culture and base elements of the episode on it for more views. I don’t entirely prefer this tactic or I’m just a little sick of it as I see it all the time. Setbacks aside, this is no reason to give up on the season and I’m in it for the long run. VIVA LA Boondocks Season 4… I guess.

 

The Boondocks Final Season Review “Pretty Boy Flizzy” S4E1

Last Monday marked the return of The Boondocks, the controversial adult cartoon, created by Aaron McGruder. Originally a comic strip in the funny side of the newspaper, this popular series grew into a critically acclaimed animated TV show that ran from 2005-2010. The story revolves around the Freeman family, an African American family comprised of a grandfather Robert Freeman, the caretaker of his two grandsons, Huey and Riley Freeman two trouble making kids, that move into a predominately Caucasian, suburban neighborhood called Woodbury from their home in Chicago.

Like the comic strip that inspired it, The Boondocks’ real identity lies within the many underlying issues of society addressed in each episode, especially those pertaining to the African-American community. Despite its serious undertones, viewers of all races, largely due to its entertaining and light-hearted nature, have generally acclaimed it. Despite the three and a half-year long hiatus between seasons, fans’ interest has not diminished. Not too long ago, word of the fourth season and the return of crazy, racist/sexist and political humor made its way around the internets – but there was a catch. The creative mind of the original creator would not be returning with it. As I heard of this news, I instantly began to question the direction of the show. Would it be as entertaining? Would there be a subtle message behind the episodes that normally goes over the heads of the viewers? Honestly, it unnerved me a bit, but I still was excited for what will be the final season of the show.

The Season 4 debut, “Pretty Boy Flizzy,” begins with Tom Dubois, the “frumpy everyman” lawyer having marital issues with his wife, Sarah. The problem is that Tom cannot take charge and is to soft in the way he handles his everyday life. He is then kicked out of the house for the inability to pretty much be, you know, a douche (yeah, kinda made me wanna facepalm my face into the back of my head). He retreats to the Freeman residence to as he has nowhere else to go, but they are less than willing to be a shoulder to cry on. They turn off the lights, shut down the electronics and pretended to be absent from the house. A crying Tom decides to sleep on the welcome mat of their front door and slowly drifts off to sleep.

The next day, Tom goes to work and is hired to defend a famous singer/rapper “bad boy” out of his self-inflicted predicament (he robs a bank). Flizzy is depicted as a satire of musicians, primarily singer Chris Brown, who act out in a destructive manner for attention – I’m sure we’ve all heard the stories by now (thanks World Star Hip-Hop). Tom decides to not handle this case as he sees no point in protecting someone the he knows actually did the crime and obviously did not care of his fate legally. Mr. Flizzy then identifies Tom as dull and weak – a person that can be stepped on without fighting back. Flizzy then negotiates that if he teaches Tom how to be a stand up guy, Tom has to defend him in court. Tom agrees to the terms and is thrown into a cliche sitcom plot line. He goes home and tells his wife of who he was defending, which is to her excitement and Tom then accuses her of wanting to have sexual relations with him. These accusations lead to him being kicked out of his house once again. Later he spends the day being tutored on how to be a bad boy and how to “truly” treat women.

Tom then brings Flizzy home for dinner even though the Freemans warn Tom of the songs he makes pertaining to stealing wives and sleeping with them, notably “I Will Do Your Wife” and “White Wife Booty.” That night at dinner, Sarah drinks herself stupid and begins flirting with Flizzy. Angered, Tom then threatened to leave her and storms his way out of the house. The following day, Tom decides to go over the security cameras at the scene of the robbery for the case. To his surprise notices the entire thing is staged dun Dun DUUUUN!!!!! Tomthen confronts his thuggish client as to why he staged the robbery and he learns that he does this so he can keep his relevance in the music industry since the only people that gain attention, or seem to, always cause trouble, which is the key to fame and a woman’s heart. Flizzy then, after being grilled by Tom, acts a fool telling Tom that he is going to take his family away. This aggravates Tom and then he proceeds to clocking Flizzy right in his jaw. Uncle Ruckus then comes to the rescue and tackles Flizzy making a citizens arrest. Flizzy, bruised face and broken, is taken away by the valiant Ruckus; he looks at Tom and winks at him, indicating that this was all in his plan to make Tom seem tougher. The entire ordeal arouses Sarah reigniting there lust-less marriage.

Yup….that’s pretty much it. Roll credits and begin the flute solo music. Now, I was not entirely impressed by this new episode, I don’t know if it was bias of the absence of McGruder, but something seemed off. The animation was familiar, and the all-star voice-acting cast returned. Even the special guest star power was there as Michael B Jordan (The Wire, Fruitvale Station, That Awkward Moment, Fantastic Four) stole the show as Pretty Boy Flizzy. Really though, the episode “Pretty Boy Flizzy” came off as rather pedestrian. It was simply not the episode we had been waiting years for. More than anything, it served as a rehashing of the Season 2 episode “Tom, Sarah and Usher.”

There didn’t really seem to be a message either. Maybe the message was women who go for the bad boys or celebrities are desperate for attention, but none of these seemed relevant to the bigger-picture issues that The Boondocks targeted years ago. I mean, Boondocks arguably single-handedly dismantled BET (as it was). I’ve heard from many people that a lot comedy is comprised of deep philosophical points put into layman’s terms which shows like The Boondocks had a knack for, but that element has been painfully missing – dating back to the mundane third season – and I was left feeling empty when the credits started rolling. Don’t get it twisted; this definitely does not mean that one episode has turned me off from watching the rest of the season.

The second episode from Season 4 of The Boondocks airs tonight. Join us at we get ready for “Good Times” as Granddad’s money mismanagement lands him in hot water with the bank. There have been a lot of crazy social mishaps in America since the curtains closed on Season 3, and the housing collapse was one I’m happy to see be on The Boondocks’ hit-list. I still have my fingers crossed for an Ed Wuncler III cameo, and there’s some Breaking Bad-inspired hustle coming this season that I can’t wait to see.