Greg Weisman (born September 28, 1963) is an American writer, producer and voice actor. He is best known as a creator of the animated series Gargoyles, The Spectacular Spider-Man and Young Justice. He is also known for being the supervisory producer for the second season of W.I.T.C.H..
Greg Weisman | |
|---|---|
 Weisman at the 2024 WonderCon | |
| Born | September 28, 1963 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Writer, producer, voice actor |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Known for | Gargoyles Bonkers The Spectacular Spider-Man Young Justice |
Early life and career
editWeisman is a former English composition and writing teacher. He received a bachelor's degree from Stanford University and a master's from USC. Between college and graduate school, he worked on staff in the editorial department of DC Comics, while also co-writing Captain Atom with Cary Bates. When he was 22 years old, he wrote a four-issue mini-series for DC Comics starring the superheroine Black Canary; the first issue of the series was penciled, but the project was ultimately shelved due to the character being used in writer/artist Mike Grell's high-profile Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters series. Elements from the ill-fated project were later used for his DC Showcase: Green Arrow short film.[1][2] Weisman is Jewish.
Animation
editAfter graduate school, Weisman worked as a development executive at Disney. There, in conjunction with others, he pitched an early comedy-adventure version of the TV series Gargoyles to Disney CEO Michael Eisner. Eventually, the idea was extensively reworked by Weisman, who brought in Michael Reaves to write the pilot five-parter. The series underwent a transformation from its initial conception as a largely comedic cartoon, to an episodic but sequential animated action-drama, and the series was produced for syndication. Though Gargoyles itself bears no on-air creator credit, Weisman describes himself on his website as "one of the creators" of the show.[3] Aired as a syndicated show for 65 episodes, Gargoyles was later picked up for a further 13 episodes by ABC. Weisman was credited as a co-producer of Gargoyles from episode 6, and as a supervising producer for much of the show's second season, but he has disassociated himself from the third season (The Goliath Chronicles), on which he received producer credit. Weisman is notable for the question and answer forum he participates in with Gargoyles fans online.
Weisman's other television credits include overseeing the first season of Max Steel, the second season of W.I.T.C.H., and both seasons of The Spectacular Spider-Man and four of Young Justice. Weisman has written episodes for numerous animated series, including Men in Black: The Series, Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles, Bonkers, and Kim Possible. He also voice directs and voice acts on occasion; he played the role of Donald Menken on The Spectacular Spider-Man and Lucas "Snapper" Carr on Young Justice. Weisman was also executive producer on Star Wars Rebels, alongside Dave Filoni and Simon Kinberg, but left the series after the first season.[4] In 2016, it was reported that he would return in the upcoming revival season of Young Justice,[5] alongside Brandon Vietti; the new season, titled Young Justice: Outsiders, began streaming on DC Universe in January 2019.[6]
Comic books
editWeisman also continues to write for comics, including in continuity continuations of the storylines from the television series Gargoyles and Young Justice. On the latter, Weisman, along with Kevin Hopps, became full-time writers of the tie-in comic as of issue #7 (as well as issue #0).[7] Weisman also wrote a parody of Gargoyles and Captain Atom in JLA Showcase #1. During his time with the Star Wars franchise, Weisman wrote the miniseries Star Wars: Kanan for Lucasfilm and Marvel Comics. From 2015 to 2016, he wrote the superhero series Starbrand & Nightmask, which lasted six issues.[8]
At San Diego Comic-Con 2022, It was announced that Dynamite Entertainment had acquired the Gargoyles license and that Weisman would serve as the writer of these new comics.[9] In November 2023, it was announced that Weisman would write a new ongoing series for Marvel Comics dubbed The Spectacular Spider-Men, which features Peter Parker and Miles Morales teaming up and fighting supervillains together. The series will also feature artwork by veteran Spider-Man artist, Humberto Ramos.[10]
Novels
editAfter leaving Disney in 1996, Weisman spent two years at DreamWorks, where he created and developed a new television series called Rain of the Ghosts. When the series was not picked up, Weisman bought the property back to turn it into a series of novels. His debut novel, also titled Rain of the Ghosts, was released in 2013. Its sequel, Spirits of Ash and Foam, followed in 2014. Weisman has announced that the third book will be titled Masque of Bones, and in 2015, he released a full-cast unabridged AudioPlay based on Rain of the Ghosts after successfully crowdfunding the project through Kickstarter.[11] In 2016, Weisman released a children's novel in the World of Warcraft universe entitled World of Warcraft: Traveler, followed by a sequel, World of Warcraft: Traveler - The Spiral Path.[12]
Weisman's next novels were set in the Magic: The Gathering universe. War of the Spark: Ravnica was released on April 23, 2019 and made the New York Times Best Sellers List.[13] Its sequel, War of the Spark: Forsaken, was released in November 2019. Alexander Sowa, for CBR, highlighted that "Greg Weissman's War of the Spark: Ravnica [was] infamous among fans for its misrepresentation of existing characters".[14] Sowa commented that its sequel, War of the Spark: Forsaken, "was greeted with a lukewarm response after it infamously attempted to retcon the sexuality of one of the book's protagonists, Chandra. As a result, the game's publisher, Wizards of the Coast, released an official apology for the novel's poor handling of the subject and canceled plans for the book that was intended for the game's next set, Theros: Beyond Death".[15] Reactions to the sequel[16][17] were "overwhelmingly negative"[18] and it was "lambasted for its disappointing prose, lack of understanding of character voice, and failure to provide any emotional payoff for the relationships that have been set up in the world of Magic. One aspect that has been called out, in particular, is the biphobic language and erasure around the relationship between the Planeswalkers Chandra Nalaar and Nissa Revane".[19] Weisman issued an apology highlighting the "mutual creative/editorial process with WotC and Del Rey" for Chandra's characterization.[16] Wizards of the Coast made a further announcement that they would no longer censor the content in Magic: The Gathering novels to "accommodate foreign content restrictions".[20]
Bibliography
editComic books
editDC Comics
edit| Year | Title | Issue(s) | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | All-Star Squadron | 63–64 | Editor | |
| 1986–87 | Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe | 16–26 | Writer | |
| 1987–88 | Secret Origins | 17–23 | Editor | |
| 1987–91 | Captain Atom | 10–50 | Co-writer (with Cary Bates) | |
| 1988 | Young All-Stars | 8–9 | Editor | |
| 2011–13 | Young Justice | 0, 7–25 | Writer (with Kevin Hopps) | |
| 2017 | The Fall and Rise of Captain Atom | 1–6 | Co-writer (with Cary Bates) | |
| 2019 | Young Justice: Outsiders (digital comic) | 1–2 | Writer | |
| 2022 | Young Justice: Targets | 1-6 | Writer |
Marvel Comics
edit| Year | Title | Issue(s) | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Star Wars: Kanan | 1–12 | ||
| 2016 | Starbrand & Nightmask | 1–6 | ||
| 2024 | The Spectacular Spider-Men | Ongoing |
SLG Comics
edit| Year | Title | Issue(s) | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–09 | Gargoyles | 1–12 | Writer | |
| 2007–09 | Gargoyles: Bad Guys | 1–6 |
Novels
edit| Year | Title | Publisher | Series | Identifier(s) | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Rain of the Ghosts | St. Martin's Press | Rain of the Ghosts | ISBN 978-1250029799 LCCN 2013-25225 OCLC 861358411 |
|
| 2014 | Spirits of Ash and Foam | St. Martin's Press | Rain of the Ghosts | ISBN 978-1250029829 LCCN 2014-8059 OCLC 881444430 |
|
| 2016 | World of Warcraft: Traveler | Scholastic Corporation | Warcraft | ISBN 978-0545906678 LCCN 2017-296008 OCLC 1001310567 |
|
| 2018 | World of Warcraft: Traveler – The Spiral Path | Scholastic Corporation | Warcraft | ISBN 978-1338029376 OCLC 1027992652 |
|
| 2019 | War of the Spark: Ravnica | Del Rey Books | Magic: The Gathering | ISBN 978-1984817457 | [14] |
| 2019 | War of the Spark: Forsaken | Del Rey Books | Magic: The Gathering | ISBN 978-1984817945 | [15][16] |
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Director(s) | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 3×3 Eyes | Hide | Daisuke Nishio Kazuhisa Takenōchi Kazuhisa Takenōchi |
Voice director and story editor (English dub) Direct-to-video series |
[21] |
| 2003 | Atlantis: Milo's Return | — | Victor Cook Toby Shelton Tad Stones |
Voice director Direct-to-video |
[22] |
| 2003 | Bionicle: Mask of Light | — | Terry Shakespeare David Molina |
Writer Direct-to-video |
[23] |
| 2010 | DC Showcase: Green Arrow | — | Joaquim Dos Santos | [24] | |
| 2022 | Catwoman: Hunted | — | Shinsuke Teresawa |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Jem | — | Writer: "Video Wars" | |
| 1992 | Raw Toonage | — | Development executive | |
| 1993–94 | Bonkers | — | ||
| 1994–97 | Gargoyles | Commando (episode: "Awakening") | Also supervising producer | |
| 1998–99 | Men in Black: The Series | — | Writer | |
| 1999 | Hercules | — | ||
| 1999–2000 | Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles | — | Writer and story editor | |
| 1999 | Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot | — | Writer: "Out of Whack" | |
| 2000 | Max Steel | — | Co-developer, writer and producer | |
| 2000 | Buzz Lightyear of Star Command | — | Writer | |
| 2003 | The Mummy | — | ||
| 2003, 2007 | Kim Possible | — | ||
| 2004–11 | Ikki Tousen | Moutoku Sousou | Voice, English dub | |
| 2004–05 | Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! | — | Writer | |
| 2004–07 | The Batman | — | ||
| 2006 | W.I.T.C.H. | — | Writer and supervising producer | |
| 2006–07 | Ben 10 | — | Writer | |
| 2007 | Legion of Super Heroes | — | ||
| 2008–09 | The Spectacular Spider-Man | Donald Menken | Voice; also co-developer, writer and supervising producer | [25] |
| 2009–11 | Batman: The Brave and the Bold | — | Writer | |
| 2010–2022 | Young Justice | Lucas Carr, Ultra-Humanite, Lobo's Belt, Captain Atom | Voice; also co-developer, writer and producer | [25] |
| 2013 | Kaijudo: Rise of the Duel Masters | — | Writer | |
| 2013 | Transformers: Prime | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Transformers: Rescue Bots | — | ||
| 2014 | Beware the Batman | — | Writer: "Monsters" | |
| 2014–15 | Star Wars Rebels | Stormtroopers | Voice; also writer and executive producer | |
| 2015 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | — | Writer: "Eyes of the Chimera" | |
| 2016–17 | Shimmer and Shine | — | Staff writer |
Video games
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | The Last Remnant | Additional Voices | [26] | |
| 2013 | Young Justice: Legacy | Tourist, Undead Soldier | Also writer and creative consultant |
Audiobooks
edit| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Rain of the Ghosts | Opie / Narrator |
References
edit- ^ ComicHeroNews (July 30, 2010). "DC Animated Showcase: Greg Weisman Interview, Part 1". Archived from the original on December 21, 2021 – via YouTube.
- ^ Wells, John (February 2011). "Failure to Launch: The Black Canary Miniseries That Never Took Flight". Back Issue! (46). TwoMorrows Publishing: 45–52.
- ^ "Greg's Introduction : Gargoyles : Station Eight". S8.org. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
- ^ "Greg Weisman Leaves Star Wars Rebels". IGN.com. February 10, 2014. Archived from the original on November 1, 2016. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
- ^ "Young Justice Archives - The World's Finest". Archived from the original on November 16, 2016. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
- ^ "YOUNG JUSTICE: OUTSIDERS Creators Talk a Darker Season Full of Metahuman Trafficking | Nerdist". Nerdist. July 26, 2018. Archived from the original on July 28, 2018. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
- ^ "Search Ask Greg : Gargoyles : Station Eight". Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved November 20, 2010.
- ^ "Starbrand and Nightmask" Archived October 1, 2017, at the Wayback Machine. Comic Book Round Up. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
- ^ Destito, Deanna (July 22, 2022). "Syndicated Comics". The Beat. Archived from the original on December 16, 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ "'Spectacular Spider-Men' Proves Two Webheads Are Better Than One". www.marvel.com. Archived from the original on December 16, 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ "Tweet". Twitter. April 23, 2015. Archived from the original on November 6, 2015. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
- ^ "Scholastic Press Release for Traveler". Archived from the original on May 19, 2024. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
- ^ Edwards, Gavin (July 29, 2020). "Strange Magic". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 31, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
- ^ a b "Magic: The Gathering - In the Heart of the Skyclave, Explained". CBR. September 8, 2020. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
- ^ a b "Magic: The Gathering Novel Introduces a New World of Monsters". CBR. April 8, 2020. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Queer Erasure in 'Magic: The Gathering' Book Infuriated Fans, Drew Apology". www.vice.com. November 26, 2019. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ "Magic: The Gathering Fans Are Not Pleased With The New War of The Spark: Forsaken Novel". epicstream.com. November 13, 2019. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ "Magic: The Gathering Retcons Iconic Planeswalker, And Fans Aren't Happy". Game Rant. November 15, 2019. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ "'Magic: The Gathering' Fans Calling Out The Biphobic Writing In Latest Book". The Mary Sue. November 19, 2019. Archived from the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ "Wizards Won't Censor Magic's Story to Accommodate Foreign Content Restrictions". Hipsters of the Coast. December 8, 2020. Archived from the original on May 19, 2024. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ "New 3X3 Dub Coming". Anime News Network. February 25, 2002. Archived from the original on June 27, 2015. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
- ^ "Greg Weisman List of Movies and TV Shows". TV Guide. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on September 7, 2018. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
- ^ Glatzer, Jenna (2003). "Interview with Henry Gilroy". Absolute Write. Archived from the original on April 7, 2006. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
- ^ Collura, Scott (July 25, 2010). "SDCC 10: DC Shorts Showcase". IGN. j2 Global. Archived from the original on August 11, 2018. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
- ^ a b "Greg Weisman (Visual voices guide)". Archived from the original on December 4, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- ^ Square Enix. The Last Remnant. Square Enix. Scene: Ending credits, 2:15 in, English Voice Recording, Cast.