New "X-Men Evolution" Q&A With Steve Gordon Online [Archive]

screw on head

08-23-2006, 03:29 PM

Steve's taken time out to answer one fan's list of X-Men Evolution questions on his blog (http://stevenegordon.blogspot.com/). Click the link to read the whole thing. Below are snippets from it that caught my eye:

In the "future vision" Professor X gets at the end of season four, were these teasers actually based on stories that the Evo team wanted to do, or perhaps had plans to do and weren`t able to... Or were they just teasers, perhaps a nod to those fans who also enjoy the comics?

To my knowledge the next season's shows had never been seriously discussed (this usually only happened after the next season was green lighted) and these visions were created as just a way to wrap up the series for the fans - and ourselves.

If, miracle of miracles, Evo was revived and renewed for another season (or four, so long as we`re dreaming), would you and the rest of the creative team return to work on it?

Anything is possible...but I seriously do not believe there is any chance of the show coming back after being cancelled so ong ago at this point. Unless DVD sales are huge (like Family Guy) I wouldn't hold my breath.

You`re obviously aware of Evo`s on-line fandom. What are your thoughts on the homosexual parings that crop up- usually Lance/Pietro, Amara/Tabby and Kurt/Todd?

No, actually I wasn't aware....and I'm not sure I want to explore those ideas too far. As far as who was Gay or not we subtlely tried to indicate that Mystique was living at one time with Destiny and raising a child (Rogue). We also tried to indicate that Risty was Gay (Mystique in disguise) and she was flirting with Rogue - which actually leads to a very weird situation on it's own merit. Some of us also kind of felt Kurt might be Gay, but that was never addressed in any way on the show.
Thoughts about the interivew?

Arsenal

08-23-2006, 04:07 PM

A gay Kurt? Combine that with Kurt the monk of X:TAS and you have a stereotype bound to aggravate some parish members.

I guess they decided to abandon gay Kurt quickly because they had him (fruitlessly) hitting on Kitty soon after his debut.

Unless, he was going to come out of the closet later on and ditch Amanda Sefton for...

Kurt the sexually ambigous foreigner. He really is Fez.

Axion-Pup

08-24-2006, 04:24 PM

"Magneto looks to be about 12 when he is rescued by Captain America and Logan. How old then, would he have been when Pietro and Wanda came about?
Hmmm...let's just say that Magneto led a very active senior life."

XD Steve Gordon is the greatest.

Beastbot X

08-24-2006, 10:50 PM

Yeah that... gay question really didn't need to be asked... Not to mention that some of the answers given to that were pretty creepy... (Risty and Rogue? What?):shrug:

screw on head

08-25-2006, 01:54 PM

Steve added some clarifications on his blog, here it is in a nutshell:

On Kurt:

In my last post I was asked a question that really threw me. It was the one concerning all the Gay fan pairings of characters. My answer seems to have caused a little stir over on the Marvel Forum (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=173036) so I felt I had better clarify my answer a little before it gets misuderstood futher. I said we felt Kurt might be Gay. That doesn't mean we ever played him as Gay or implied in anyway he was Gay. To be honest I doubt everyone thought this way - but I know I did. As to his incarnation as a priest in the comics we had no interest in using that aspect of him whatsoever - as far as I knew.
On Risty/Rogue:

The other concern was a flip comment I made about Risty and Rogue. This is where the clarification really comes into it. Mystique was Gay so that would make Risty Gay - we even had some fun with using purple as her main color and her earring, but it was all subtle enough not to be claear to anyone too young or not in the know. Did it appear a Gay character was hitting on Rogue? Yes. But was Risty/Mystique actually hitting on Rogue? No. She behaved as many mothers might behave, but when those concerns are translated into those of a same-sex peer it can appear as if there is more to it than that. Especially since we were able to keep Risty's secret for so long. My comment about a possible weird relationship between Risty and Rogue was probably a mistake. It was a joke and probably not a very good one...oh, well.

Arsenal

08-25-2006, 02:59 PM

One has to appreciate Steve. Not only did he perform the interview, but he added a clarification to the interview based upon something said in these forums.

Is there some kind of no-prize we can give the guy?

ifthismeansevos

08-25-2006, 08:47 PM

Mmm I dond't know we should ask DP. And I never felt Risty as a very gay character except for Shadowdance. Yet it was a good joke that kind of joke to make my jaws wide open. Heck she wanted her Daughter's boy in the comics no? Well one step more and now she wants her daughter...Wait it is indeed creepy

Sandoz

08-27-2006, 05:05 PM

Well, the Mystique/Risty issue is certainly odd no matter which way you look at it--but I'm kind of relieved that I wasn't just imagining Risty flirting with Rogue when she asked her to the Sadie Hawkins Dance. The Mystique/Destiny acknowledgement was nice.

The Kurt question was interesting too. I know that a lot of fanfic authors are adamantly convinced that Pietro was always intended by the writers to be gay, so this was an amusing spin on an old fan theory.

Mini Wolfsbane

08-29-2006, 04:40 AM

Yeah that... gay question really didn't need to be asked... Not to mention that some of the answers given to that were pretty creepy... (Risty and Rogue? What?):shrug:

I so agree with you on that one,Beastbot.

My reaction to his answer was basically this:

"That's it,my life has been ruined.Game over.I've lost all my sims,
Invasion and Surface have been cancelled without warning,
and now I find out that nearly all Evo characters are gay.Why do I even bother ?"

I was honestly disturbed for a couple of days afterwards,trying to
get it all out of my head.I mean,I thought I could handle anything after
finding out about Mystique in the comic verse (Thanks for ruining
my adoration for an otherwise great character,Bravo TV!!),
but that was just way too much.Risty and Rogue ?What indeed.

(And if anyone thinks I was being "silly" or another "fangirl" or something,
well, I'm both, so you're right!Good for you, have a cookie!)

Considering it was a Y7 rated show,it did have it's moments,
but overall, you'd think most of us couldn't thought for a second
and said "It was a kid's cartoon.Since when do they seriously put
that in a mostly action based kid's cartoon ?"

But no,We're such sheep,we think "Oh,Steve,someone who
worked on the show,said it so it must be true!"

We're pretty sad,aren't we ?

On another note,might I add that this can all go back to the
slash fan-fic writers.It's thier fault.If they didn't write things like...like that,
that question probably wouldn't have even been asked,I can almost gaurantee it.People have crazy imaginations.

I am glad to see that Steve cleared up his more questionable answers though.

All in all,I can't see where Risty appeared to "hit on" Rogue,myself.
Wasn't she the one egging her on to go trolling for boys in Shadowdance ?
Wasn't she the one to have the sympathetic ear when Scott went out with
Jean,saying she'd find someone better (And in that it sounds like a boy,too)?

Crap!Gambit,dude,where were you when you were needed most ?!:sad:

StormDragon318

08-29-2006, 11:36 AM

I didn't really see the necessity of the gay question either - pretty much every single comic book, TV programme or film which has a following on the internet full of fanfic writers creating pairings such as Lance/Pietro, which have nothing to do with original storylines or the actual script-writers, so what was the point of asking somebody who worked on the show what he thought of pairings which were never in the series?

As for gay pairings which actually DO exist, such as Mystique and Destiny, then I suppose it was good for them to hint at it in the show (well, apparently they did - I never really thought they were saying the pair were lesbians). Anyway, Destiny was only in two episodes and the only relationships the show was interested in were those of the teenagers (understandably, as it was going out to kids), so obviously pairings such as Scott/Jean are going to take precedence over Mystique/Destiny, regardless of who is and who isn't gay.

Arsenal

08-29-2006, 01:05 PM

Originally posted by Mini Wolfsbane
My reaction to his answer was basically this:

"That's it,my life has been ruined.

I would suggest you are overreacting.

Also Wolfsbane
and now I find out that nearly all Evo characters are gay.Why do I even bother ?"

I was honestly disturbed for a couple of days afterwards,trying to
get it all out of my head.I mean,I thought I could handle anything after
finding out about Mystique in the comic verse

This sounds homophobic.

Crap!Gambit,dude,where were you when you were needed most

What, is Gambit supposed to make everyone hetero? I'm not sure I understand your objection to Steve's tongue-in-cheek responses.

Sandoz

08-29-2006, 01:27 PM

Thank you, Arsenal. My thoughts exactly.

Why are people uncomfortable with the "gay question"? Is it because he didn't give the answer they thought he would (i.e., that comic/cartoon characters are always 100% straight)? Just because Evo is a "kid's show" doesn't mean that the subject of a character's sexual orientation never came up in the minds of the creators; for example, Dwayne McDuffie maintained that character of Gear on Static Shock was gay, even if it would never come up on the series itself, and Greg Weisman said the same thing about the Gargoyles character Lexington. So no, it's not an "unnecessary" question thought up by silly slashers.

Mini Wolfsbane

08-30-2006, 02:29 AM

I would suggest you are overreacting.

*sigh*
That wasn't meant to be taken seriously.
I just meant that it's majorly pissing me off and upsetting me that so many of
the things I enjoy in life lately seem to be tainted by cancellation
or things I strongly dislike.Thankfully this didn't really end up to
be one of them.

This sounds homophobic.

....Yup.
Unlike the majority of people (I'm not pointing fingers at anyone!
I mean what I say:The majority of people in society today.That's
all.Not anyone in particular.), I have strong morals and religious values,so I object to same-sex relationships.

What, is Gambit supposed to make everyone hetero? I'm not sure I understand your objection to Steve's tongue-in-cheek responses.

I was referring to the Rogue and Remy pairing there,not that Gambit
can make every hetero...though if you ask me, he could,but that's
only what I, a Gambit-fangirl, would say.

The responses threw me for a loop. Like going to bed one night in your
room and waking up the next morning in cornfield.
Completly unexpected and leaving me questioning why.
Though it was enlightening to see that Steve didn't want
to jump right into the questions and go into them with great
detail, and that, as I later found out, has a sense of humor about it.
An odd sense of humor, but a sense of humor nonetheless.

Please make note that I'm not saying I'm trying to make everyone agree
with me or anything. I'm just taking a stand as to what my personal beliefs
are,which isn't easy for anyone to do.

Sometimes my answers are cryptic and don't make too much sense unless
you know a bit about me. If they don't,I'm always happy to try and clear
them up for you. For future refrence, I tend to air on the sarcastic
and hyperactive side, so if something sounds strange, it's supposed to.
And if it makes no sense or sounds off the wall, I'll tell you what I
really meant and not leave you in the dark.
Beastbot has more then likely seen some of my posts at another forum, he probably knows
what I mean....I hope.

ifthismeansevos

08-31-2006, 10:44 PM

I actually find the lesbian stuff as a valid subject I mean I can't take Colossus gay in the UU but heck that just me and my I guess the strong guy has to be gasy or traitor no? Lil comic hint whateva But Northstar is ok Karma is ok and heck Mystioque was evil she was really evil so what maybe she want to kiss her adopted daughter because she was adopted if Mystique found Destiny hot then heck she can find Rogue hot because hell she is (In their universe whateva) And now we do have a reason for her to be knocked out and Magneto to be acepted (This if Pietro wasn't gay for some trauma but Steven never said nothin like that) I mean why he has to take back the words he said he though that in a time and it seems logic and maybe I'm immoral nah heck I'm not I'm just seeing good stuff bout Evo and some comics (Like X-factor god if I love Peter David) they work like the real world but with super powers and the real world has lesbians and gays and foster parents who wants a go with her daughters!!!

Arsenal

09-01-2006, 07:49 AM

Originally posted by ifthismeansevo
and the real world has lesbians and gays and foster parents who wants a go with her daughters

True. (The part about the foster parents is irrefutable creepy, but, nonetheless, true.)

Point blank: a character (or person) is not solely defined by their sexual preference. Mystique is not gay, she is also gay. In additions, she is female, manipulative and homicidal. (Not to say all females are manipulative and homicidal.) All of these things describe Mystique, but none of them describe her totally.

Likewise, Northstar--the comic iteration--is gay; but he is also headstrong, a gold medalist and Canadian. (The animated version, however, just seems to be Canadian and bland.) To judge a character because they have one characteristic (be it homosexuality, an ethnicity or religion) is stereotyping; and stereotyping leads to bigotry. Consequently, stereotyping is not something I condone. (I am not speaking as a moderator here, merely as a person.)

Furthermore, a character is not good, bad, engrossing or boring simply because they are gay. A character is the cumulative effect of all of its qualities. A gay character can be intriguing or yawn-inducing, heroic or a base rogue. (That is a base rogue, not abase Rogue...) To judge a character because of sexual preference (or race, religion or haircut) is to miss the point.

However, sometimes we are given characters who are little more than a sexual preference, race or haircut. These are called token characters. Characters like that are a failure of their creator. Personally, I am offended by token characters.

Finally, Steve Gordon answered several questions beside the "gay" one. Perhaps, we can discuss some of them.

Beastbot X

09-01-2006, 02:56 PM

....Yup.
Unlike the majority of people (I'm not pointing fingers at anyone!
I mean what I say:The majority of people in society today.That's
all.Not anyone in particular.), I have strong morals and religious values,so I object to same-sex relationships.

Yup, ditto here. Well, except for the "unlike the majority of people" part. There's a reason laws prohibiting gay marriage always pass by at least a 65-35 margin even in the bluest of blue states, mini wolfsbane...

To judge a character because they have one characteristic (be it homosexuality, an ethnicity or religion) is stereotyping; and stereotyping leads to bigotry.

(Last thing I'm gonna say on this matter, obviously this will devolve quickly if this keeps going.) In terms of ethnicity I agree with you but otherwise-- In terms of being opposed to something, judging a character because they have one characteristic that you find morally repugnant-- i.e., homosexuality-- is perfectly fine. Words mean things. If a person is a homosexual and you are opposed to homosexuality, it would be silly and overly PC NOT to judge THAT PART of the person's character. That's not to say they might not have other fine qualities, but in terms of THAT PART of their character, yes, I'm judging them, and I'd find it silly not to.

Arsenal

09-01-2006, 03:00 PM

There were laws banning interracial marriage in certain United states until 1967. The Supreme Court had to repeal those miscegenation laws in 1967 with its decision in Loving v. Virginia. Thirty-eight of the 50 states had laws banning interracial marriage after the Civil War. Many of them also used religion (and the curse of Ham) to defend their racism.

Were people right then too, Beastbot?

Beastbot X

09-01-2006, 03:07 PM

I told you, I'm not going to go down this path with you. Your inability to distinguish ethnicity from homosexuality worries me, and if you think that "because the Bible says so" is the only argument my side has against homosexuality, you are SERIOUSLY selling my side short. I've had this conversation with people a million times, and a mod, of all people, should know when to let something go. I'm done here.

ifthismeansevos

09-01-2006, 06:41 PM

Yeah well sometimes I want to know if everything in Evo was a hint as it looks sometimes with the future Rogue or the Jean's hair stuff. I have this weird idea and I guess this is the best place to write it: I dream we'll have a 10th aniversary comic book or series in 2010 like the Spider-friends stuff.
Oh and you're right Arsenal maybe I was tryin to say somethin similar but you're better getting the point:o

krazymed

09-01-2006, 07:50 PM

Finally, Steve Gordon answered several questions beside the "gay" one. Perhaps, we can discuss some of them.

Sadly, it appears that the one drop rule also applies to animated cartoon threads...

Mini Wolfsbane

09-02-2006, 12:18 AM

Yup, ditto here. Well, except for the "unlike the majority of people" part. There's a reason laws prohibiting gay marriage always pass by at least a 65-35 margin even in the bluest of blue states, mini wolfsbane...

Um...okay.
I've had a really long day, so that's not making too much sense
to me now.Whatever you say,dude.*konks out onto her keyboard.*

I didn't mean to get such a heated convo going even more,I guess,
but it looks like it was a productive discussion at least.
And no one seems too put off.I hope.:o

Now, as we're moving on...

It was nice to see the series get such a great wrap up for
everyone involved.Whoever asked that question was one smart cookie.

I should think up some questions to ask him and maybe I'll
get a fantasmal response such as these got, but I think
about everything that could be asked has been asked.
Although I wonder if inspiration was used for any of the characters
outside of using Tyra Banks (?) as inspiration for Storm.
I know clothing mags and things were used for the fashion
and hair aspects, but was anyone in real life an inspiration
for the characters themselves ?

(I could go on about who I think might've inpsired my
faves, but I'll save that for another time.)

Stu

09-02-2006, 08:02 PM

I recently recieved an email from Greg Johnson, the show's head writer and here's what he had to say on the subject.

I never envisioned or depicted any of the characters as gay. I'm not making a statement about my personal views on the subject, but it simply never crossed my mind to layer in that kind of hidden subtext. Fans are free to read anything they want into the relationships, and the directors may have had their own thoughts on the matter when depicting them visually (though it was never brought up to me), but I can tell you there was no agenda on my part whatsoever when generating scripts for the series.

There's your confirmation folks, as Mr Gordon said in his original interview, any views of any of the characters being gay was simply speculation.

Beastbot X

09-03-2006, 03:46 PM

Yeah, Mr. Johnson's response seems more in line with how the show went, to me, than Mr. Gordon's response.... all of the characters he said might be gay seemed like quite a bit of stretch to come to that conclusion, with the sole exception of Mystique/Destiny, and even then that's more because there was nothing to outright disprove it than anything else...

Mini Wolfsbane

09-03-2006, 08:52 PM

Well that's good news,I guess.

Man, we sure take these things overboard, don't we ?:sweat: :ack:

RAINMAN

09-06-2006, 04:08 AM

Mini Wolfsbane

09-07-2006, 09:48 PM

I could see how mystique action could be taken out of contents but night crawer I just don`t get it. Hes had a crush on 3 or 4 different girls in the series so how does that hint to him being gay? Stuff like that just makes me shake my head.:sad:

You're kidding me,right ?

Yes,he had crushes on girls, but you have to read between the lines
with that.

Like,the idea could come from him taking a girls form in Adrift.
(What first came to mind when we started on this subject.)
IMO,He was laughing an awful lot, and as much the humorist as I am,
if I were him I would've been ticked off, not laughing.

Plus there was his whiny,girlish voice, his general "look" of being small and skinny (Not that has anything to do with anything really,but still...), and
I don't know....he hangs around Kitty a lot ?

What I'm getting at is that he's not a very masculine character.Period.
Personally, I see him as having more effeminate tendencies then being
gay (like you said, he's had a lot of crushes),but all in all I've come to just
not liking the character very much as he's portrayed in Evo.
I mean, I kinda see him as that male friend who just hangs around with too many girls and though he isn't gay, he sure acts way too much like it.

Well,something like that, anyhow.I mean, I don't much like him now,so I'm bound to think of him in some sort of negative fashion.

RAINMAN

09-08-2006, 02:06 AM

I don`t like his EVO version either but I`m not gonna say hes gay cause I don`t like him.

Spiffy1

09-10-2006, 10:58 PM

i'm pretty sure the whole gay thing was started by that ever-present legion of lonely anime girls who like to make the attractive guy pairs. It really makes me mad when they do that ~_~ I mean, what's the point?
anyone remember Gundam Wing?

ifthismeansevos

09-11-2006, 05:02 PM

Nup!:sweat:

Mini Wolfsbane

09-11-2006, 09:21 PM

I don`t like his EVO version either but I`m not gonna say hes gay cause I don`t like him.

Okay,but I was trying to say I thought of him as more "girlish" then really
gay.Probably didn't come across too clear,but that's what I said.

Off Topic,I got my Rogue poster today from Steve's blog.
It's,in so many words,freaking awesome!

I have to wait to get a frame for it,but I'm sure the wait will be worth it.
It's going to go really good with my room once it's done.
(Eventhough I'm redecorating in an Eastern Indian theme,but
hey,Rogue looks cool anywhere.)I think the pose she's in will lend itself to
the theme.Her just sitting there,looking calm,yadda,yadda.
Sweet!!:D

jeffnevins

09-17-2006, 07:30 PM

Hope discussing non-gay issues is OK.:)

I finally checked out the first two seasons on DVD. I took a background design class at the Animation Academy under X-Men Evo BG designer Alan Simmons a few years ago, and was curious about the show.

Fun design & animation. And story/writing/characters for mainstream TV.

Changed designs and tweaking charcter ages is OK, But what's with all this Evolution? Seems to be a trend in the movies as well.

I guess it's "in" these days, but it really just seems like plugging an already popular philosphical agenda to youth. I like the X-Men, but don't believe I'm alone when I mention I don't care for the evolution hype at all. :yawn:

Sandoz

09-17-2006, 09:37 PM

Changed designs and tweaking charcter ages is OK, But what's with all this Evolution? Seems to be a trend in the movies as well.

I guess it's "in" these days, but it really just seems like plugging an already popular philosphical agenda to youth. I like the X-Men, but don't believe I'm alone when I mention I don't care for the evolution hype at all. :yawn:
Evolution has always been part of the X-Men mythos, so this is hardly a new "trend."

jeffnevins

09-18-2006, 10:40 PM

No, Stan Lee established them as mutants, without really mentioning evolution.

Good to have a new topic for discussion, though. :)

Any major stores out there sell volume 2 & 3?

Gokou Ruri

09-18-2006, 10:47 PM

No, Stan Lee established them as mutants, without really mentioning evolution.

Eh, but mutants are the next stage in human evolution.

jeffnevins

09-19-2006, 11:22 PM

Eh, but mutants are the next stage in human evolution.

Stan never established that. Mutants were just different from humans.

It's cool, though. Is Target a good place to place to find these DVDs? Thanks-

90'sCartoonMan

09-20-2006, 10:27 AM

That interview was interesting. I was under the impression that if the series continued, Bastion/Nimrod and possibly Dark Phoenix were things they definitley were going to do.

And I find the "Is Kurt gay?" question funny in an odd way in light of recent issues of Ultimate X-Men.

It's cool, though. Is Target a good place to place to find these DVDs? Thanks-

Season 3 is easy enough to find, but be careful with season 2 DVDs, they're sold in four individual discs. You might want to shop around, check prices at Target, Wal-Mart, and online retailers (I got my season two from DeepDiscount DVD because of their free shipping).

jeffnevins

09-22-2006, 09:57 AM

Got it. Thanks. Back to animating.

Yuna_Firerose

09-24-2006, 03:27 PM

I registered just for this topic... how sad am I?

Please make note that I'm not saying I'm trying to make everyone agree with me or anything. I'm just taking a stand as to what my personal beliefs are,which isn't easy for anyone to do.
Though I disagree with your sentiments - I'm personally atheist and openly bisexual - I appreciate your sharing them and thusly making a stand on your beliefs. Too often I see fans, of any fandom really, with a wishy-washy mentality. We can agree to disagree, yes? -shakes hands-

so what was the point of asking somebody who worked on the show what he thought of pairings which were never in the series?
Because fandom is what keeps a show alive, whether it be a fandom of 'omg I love this episode!!' or a fandom of well-thought out analysis regarding a character's preference. There still are Evo fandoms/couplings around today, and I know of one in particular that is probably the most active of the Evo-verse.

Different people will come away with different interpretations regarding characters. One might think Pietro and Avalanche were rivals, another would say lovers. It's all in one's outlook. Thusly, it is always nice to hear feedback regarding these interpretations from the original creators. As in, how they might think of the popularity for Todd/Kurt, for example. I'm in full support of such questionings and certainly appreciate Mr. Gordon's honesty regarding how he viewed the characters.

To judge a character because they have one characteristic (be it homosexuality, an ethnicity or religion) is stereotyping; and stereotyping leads to bigotry. Consequently, stereotyping is not something I condone. (I am not speaking as a moderator here, merely as a person.)
I would quote your entire post, but that would be overly long. Great, great post, dearest.

There's your confirmation folks, as Mr Gordon said in his original interview, any views of any of the characters being gay was simply speculation.
You probably don't mean for this to be offensive, but I am nonetheless offended by it. To have such a "confirmation" is merely wrapping up all the discussion - which I've enjoyed reading, honestly - with a nice pretty bow. I don't think you can. True, Mr. Gordon admitted his speculations, but that was only one person of the creative team.

And I find the "Is Kurt gay?" question funny in an odd way in light of recent issues of Ultimate X-Men.
Indeed. I'm not sure I like the version of homophobic*Kurt, but that may just be me. Personally, I do not think it fits the character at all, for many reasons (none of which have to do with his EVO incarnation, however, and thusly it is an entirely seperate issue from this discussion).

In other non-quotage news (I think I overused the tag just a wee bit :sweat:), I joined this forum just for this topic, which I learned about from Mr. Gordon's blog, and in turn I learned about the blog from a community specifically for the Todd/Kurt relationship. Interpret that as you will.

Ta for now, my laundry can't fold itself (unfortunately! ;))

James Howlett

09-29-2006, 09:21 AM

I registered just for this topic... how sad am I
I haven't posted here at Toon Zone in years and this topic, Astonishing X-Men and some of the new Marvel cartoons have brought me right back!

I'm a fan of X-Men: Evolution (and I can't wait for the season four DVD) but I find that sometimes fans can go a teeny bit overboard which I find takes away some of the magic of a show. I can't even go near the DC Forum anymore becuase the behaviour there borders on ludicrous and I feel bad for the mods who have to put up with it.

I wonder why X-Men: Evolution unlike any of the Marvel cartoons before has such a obsessive fanbase. I do find the characters appealing and the majority of episodes enthralling but the fanbase can turn me off, especially when reading the reactions I see in threads like this. My appreciation for the creators grow when I see stuff like this, and I found Mr. Gordon's responses to be interesting way to look at some of the characters on the show.

I will say it is nice to see fandom keeping a show alive even if the way it's staying alive is usually very questionable and sometimes very creepy.

Doop

11-11-2006, 06:48 PM

OK, I know this topic is a little old but I found it while searching and anyway...

heck Mystioque was evil she was really evil so what maybe she want to kiss her adopted daughter because she was adopted if Mystique found Destiny hot then heck she can find Rogue hot because hell she is (In their universe whateva)

I thought it was clarified that Mystique wasn't hitting on Rogue. "Mystique was Gay so that would make Risty Gay... Did it appear a Gay character was hitting on Rogue? Yes. But was Risty/Mystique actually hitting on Rogue? No. She behaved as many mothers might behave, but when those concerns are translated into those of a same-sex peer it can appear as if there is more to it than that."

And Mini Wolfsbane; are you aware it was Mystique's creator Chris Claremont who wrote that she was in a relationship with Destiny? And how come her being a genocidal terrorist doesn't ruin your appreciation of the character, but her being in a romantic relationship with another woman does? :sweat:

ifthismeansevos

11-11-2006, 08:30 PM

Ok maybe call me a perv but I prefer it the other way.

Mini Wolfsbane

11-11-2006, 09:54 PM

OK, I know this topic is a little old but I found it while searching and anyway...

And Mini Wolfsbane; are you aware it was Mystique's creator Chris Claremont who wrote that she was in a relationship with Destiny? And how come her being a genocidal terrorist doesn't ruin your appreciation of the character, but her being in a romantic relationship with another woman does? :sweat:

So CC made her that way. That's just how she was/is written.
There is nothing I can do about it, it's just fact in the comics.

Because she's a villian and not a good guy. Simple as that.
Or, to be blunt, I'd rather see her being a villian ( I see her as a villian,
not a terrorist) then macking with another woman. To me that's just gross and I don't see why everyone's making such a big deal out of my personal opinion when other people said the same thing.

I'd like to drop this now, so I won't be coming back to this thread.
I'm not trying to be rude, I just don't feel like talking anymore about
this. We've talked it to death and that's that. It's done.

Doop

11-11-2006, 10:49 PM

Well, it'd be nice if you tried being more openminded.

And Mystique's relationship with Destiny is one of the things that make her a complex/sympathetic character.
http://tatooine.fortunecity.com/bear/353/duffer2.jpg

Sandoz

11-11-2006, 11:11 PM

Arsenal

11-12-2006, 02:29 AM

Yes, agreed, the horse is dead. (I was there for its death throws.) If we can't all agree, or even agree to disagree, can we all agree to talk about something else? The interview, for example.

Doop

11-12-2006, 02:30 PM

Ok maybe call me a perv but I prefer it the other way.

Also, not really related to the gay debate, but why would you want Mystique to be attracted to Rogue? It would ruin their mother-daughter relationship (one of Mystique's most redeeming qualities), making it incestful and possibly abusive.

ifthismeansevos

11-15-2006, 09:26 PM

Yeah well that's the point of the "call me a perv" sentence. But I mean it's much better for character development I mean this is a woman who's twisted she loves her daughter but her mind is out of control she may not want to hurt her but...I don't know if you get my point. I prefer it that way because it's more complexe and not just because it's hot. But maybe I shouldn't be talking about this but u asked a question I'm givin you my answer

James Howlett

11-17-2006, 09:05 AM

Mini Wolfsbane

11-30-2006, 03:54 AM

Well, it's rather unfortunate that anyone (regardless of their feelings on sexual morality) thinks that being in a homosexual relationship is worse than engaging in criminal or violent activity. But that's a dead horse for another time.

Well, it'd be nice if you tried being more openminded.

And Mystique's relationship with Destiny is one of the things that make her a complex/sympathetic character.

*sigh*

Okay, I said I wasn't going to come back here, but appearantly it was a good thing I did.

I'm not sure what to say, but (for people to try and understand me) here it goes:

I didn't want to get into the whole terrorist issue.
All I was saying was that I didn't like the idea
of Mystique being bi. That's it. That was all I wanted to express.
I shouldn't have expressed myself on such a sensitive issue
and I'll just have to remember for future referenece.

And I just meant I'd rather see her be evil instead of being bi.
I wasn't talking about the world in general.

I'm not stupid or that hard-headed.
Of course it's better to be gay then to go around being a terrorist.

Have I made myself clear now ?
Does everyone know that I was just talking about a comic-book character
and that I'm not some nut ?

I didn't write what I wrote to get into a huge arguement or whatever or
even a debate. It was a mistake for me to even express my views
and now I'm totally regretting it.

As for being open-minded, I just couldn't be. Not with that issue.

Manhunter

12-01-2006, 07:56 PM

Um...okay.
I should think up some questions to ask him and maybe I'll
get a fantasmal response such as these got, but I think
about everything that could be asked has been asked.
Although I wonder if inspiration was used for any of the characters
outside of using Tyra Banks (?) as inspiration for Storm.
I know clothing mags and things were used for the fashion
and hair aspects, but was anyone in real life an inspiration
for the characters themselves ?

From what I remember from an old interview:

Cyclops-Chris Klein
Jean Grey-Charisma Carpenter
Nightcrawler-Seth Green

Spider-Man

12-15-2006, 10:36 AM

I think Mystique is a very complex character but also one that can support such complexities. Looking at her history in the comics, she has had quite the past. I find the strained mother/daughter relationship between the two to be very crucial for both characters. It's probably the most realistic relationship these two characters have and it was nice to see touches of it in X-Men Evolution which eventually led to that very dramatic scene of Rogue pushing the Mystique statue over a cliff.I don't think we'll ever see a full realization of Mystique anywhere than outside of the comics. They didn't even touch upon her character that much in the X-Men movies. She seemed to be more a gimmick than anything and a lapdog for Magneto to do his bidding. The cartoons did an alright job and touched upon some of her more personal issues but will likely never be able to go as far as she deserves. She's a great character that deserves alot of exploration. And I wonder who influenced the design for Mystique in the X-Men: Evolution cartoon.

Steve G

12-16-2006, 12:53 PM

And I wonder who influenced the design for Mystique in the X-Men: Evolution cartoon.

I'm not quite sure I know what you're asking...are you asking if Mystique was based on a specific actress as I did for some of the other characters? If so...the answer is no. She was created out of whole cloth in all 3 versions I designed.

Spider-Man

12-19-2006, 09:37 AM

I'm not quite sure I know what you're asking...are you asking if Mystique was based on a specific actress as I did for some of the other characters? If so...the answer is no. She was created out of whole cloth in all 3 versions I designed.
You answered my question! I was just wondering if you were influenced by the movies, previous cartoons or the comics. I was surprised how close you stayed to the comic book costume of the character.

Steve G

12-19-2006, 09:46 AM

Gotcha...Season 1's design was closely based on the comic mainly because we were running out of time and we didn't have a handle on her yet. I had little or no knowledge of this character at the time season 1 started and the first X-Men movie hadn't come out yet. So I fell back on that weird 70's looking outfit with the thigh-high go-go boots. The next season we all had a better idea of what we wanted to do with her...but we ended up having to put clothes on her anyway (we would have loved to get away with what they did in the movie, but obviously couldn't.)

Spider-Man

12-21-2006, 09:55 AM

Steve G

12-21-2006, 10:17 AM

Spider-Man

12-21-2006, 01:40 PM

I might not be remembering correctly, but I think it was just a couple of months. Not nearly the type of time necessary to develope a show of this magnitude. We kinda had to hit the ground running. In fact when we started it wasn't even guaranteed I'd be the designer...at least, not to my knowledge.
Well the end product turned out great I'd say. Are there any designs you would go back and change? I don't mean to monopolize your time in this thread so if other posters have questions - speak up!

Steve G

12-22-2006, 10:02 AM

Are there any designs I'd change?...definitely - especially the uniforms...if I had a chance and complete control I would utilize a form of the yellow/black jumpsuit even for characters like Cyclops and Jean. i was never very happy with the Rogue costume andhad more than a few concerns with Avalance's.
you have to realize how quickly these were put together (I know, I know, I keep saying that, but it's true) and we often had to live with something especially if the network approved it.
The one thing i wouldn't do is go for black leather motorcycle uniforms ;)

Obsidian

12-26-2006, 05:29 PM

had more than a few concerns with Avalance's.

What was it about Lance's uniform that you felt needed changing? And did you ever design "civvies"/street clothes models for the adult X-Men and Brotherhood, or just their uniforms?

Steve G

12-27-2006, 12:19 PM

What was it about Lance's uniform that you felt needed changing? And did you ever design "civvies"/street clothes models for the adult X-Men and Brotherhood, or just their uniforms?

We saw all your comments about his helmet...it sure seemed like a cool idea at the time. In fact, we had Scott call it a fishbowl in one episode also.

The only civvies that were designed were the ones you saw. The scripts never called for them to be in anything but their uniforms.

ifthismeansevos

01-03-2007, 01:04 AM

Great!:( :eek: Steve answered questions and I wasn't around then again I have no serious questions really. So what can I say right now this post is a lil of spam.
Oh by the way HAppy New year! (Three days later!)

Spider-Man

01-10-2007, 08:03 AM

Hey Steve,

Another question for you. Are there any X-characters you wish you got a chance to use, like Mr. Sinister for example? Any sketches for characters you never got to use? Thanks for taking the time to answer these! Looking forward to X-Men: Evolution - Season Four on DVD whenever WHV gets around to releasing it which I hope is soon!

Steve G

01-12-2007, 09:20 AM

I knew very little about Mr Sinister since I had stopped reading comics a long time prior to his appearance and his look always looked a little goofy and dated to me. So he was low on my 'desire to draw' with list.
I can't think of any more X-Men I would have liked to redesign, but it would have been fun to design other characters from the rest of the Marvel universe - I really enjoyed working with Cap. The Fantastic Four, SpiderMan, etc. But I understood the reason why that was unlikely to happen.
Due to the 'hit the ground running' nature of our show there wasn't a lot of wasted character designs.

Spider-Man

01-16-2007, 12:52 PM

Thanks for the interesting responses Steve. I think this thread has turned into essential reading for both X-Men: Evolution fans and Marvel fans in general. It's pretty great stuff. I hope you continue to stick around the Marvel Universe for awhile. I'd like to see you continue to lend your talent to these characters and I hope we'll be seeing more of it in the future. If you have any cool things to show us to peak our excitement I'm all ears (or would that be 'eyes'?)!

Stu

01-29-2007, 06:20 PM

You've mentioned your problems with Lance's bowlhead and when we did our interview a while back, you stated your dislike (dissapointment?) with the original Mystique design. Are there any other designs you did that you simply don't like or think you could do a lot better job with now?

Steve G

01-30-2007, 12:21 PM

Hmmm....what a can of worms...

So many years later (okay, maybe not that many), I'd love another chance at redesigning all the characters. Knowing what I know now about them I think I could add something to each of them.
But to get more specific I would definitely re-work Magneto (though I know the fans really like what was designed). I think I would go for less of a body builder super-villain and something keying off of the movie's take on him - something more along the lines of a ordinary person in appearance much like Prof X. Also Cyclop's costume seemed too non-functional for me for such a control freak and it never had a good feel once in color - though I'm not tlaking about something with all the belts and pouches like he wore for a while in the comics.
But most of all I really wish we had gone wih something closer to the original black and yellow jumpsuit.