Gargoyles

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Name: Gargoyles
Abbreviation(s): Garg
Creator: Greg Weisman
Date(s): October 24, 1994 – February 15, 1997
Medium: animation
Country of Origin: United States
External Links: Gargoyles at Wikipedia
"illustration of Goliath, Elisa, Hudson, Brooklyn, Lexington, Broadway, and Bronx standing on the edge of a building looking outwards. In the background is a glowing clock tower, Xanatos on one side and Demona on the other. Text reads 'Gargoyles'."
Gargoyles Poster by HollyRoseBriar (2018)
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Gargoyles was an American cartoon with many unique aspects, mixing science fiction, fantasy and romantic elements with epic and complex story arcs spanning three seasons. 78 episodes were produced. Created by The Walt Disney Company, the first two seasons aired as part of the Disney Afternoon syndicated block, while the third aired on ABC's Saturday morning. Reruns later aired on Toon Disney/Disney XD for several years.

After cancellation, the story was continued in a series of comic books, which lasted for 18 issues, 6 of which were part of a spin-off miniseries titled Gargoyles: Bad Guys. A second continuation in comic book form was announced in July of 2022, picking up where the last issue of the previous comics left off. The first issue of the new comics was released on December 7, 2022 and is still running today.

Regarding the show's original cancellation: from a fan in 2002:

...it was the last truly good series for television that Disney ever did, and they ended it at an unforgivable place, and sent it off to ABC to die. bastards. [1]

From a fan's website in 2000:

Three years ago, animation at Disney zenithed. It was a time of magic, it was a world of mystery. It was the age of GargoyleS. We were deceived by the executives we trusted, and put under the knell of the Goliath Chronicles until cancellation. Now, here on the Internet, the executives have no sway, and we live again! [2]

Canon

In medieval Scotland, a clan of Gargoyles, a race of nocturnal winged reptilian humanoid creatures who turn into statues during the daytime, is cursed to turn into stone permanently until their castle rises "above the clouds." Hundreds of years later, mysterious billionaire David Xanatos buys the castle and moves it to the top of a skyscraper in New York. The six gargoyles must now adjust to the strange new world around them, with the help of NYPD detective Elisa Maza.

The Goliath Chronicles

The show's third season, known as The Goliath Chronicles, is not considered canon by series co-creator Greg Weisman, as he and much of the show's production crew, particularly the writers, were replaced after the first episode. Subsequent episodes of the third season frequently ignored the continuity of the previous seasons and diverged heavily from Weisman's plans for the series, with many concepts that he planned to introduce being significantly altered or scrapped entirely.

Comic Book Continuations

The first comic book series, written and overseen by Weisman himself, largely disregarded the events of The Goliath Chronicles. The first two issues adapted the one episode that Weisman and the original crew worked on, but then diverged to depict Weisman's original plans for the future of the characters following the conclusion of the second season.

The spin-off miniseries Gargoyles: Bad Guys, also written by Weisman, took place concurrently with the main comics. Bad Guys focused on a group of former antagonists from the show who were recruited to become a group known as the Redemption Squad and complete missions around the world at the behest of a mysterious benefactor.

The second comic book series has been confirmed to take place in the same continuity as the existing comic book continuation, with the first issue of the new series taking place one month after the final issue of the previous one.

A second spin-off miniseries Gargoyles: Dark Ages tells the story of the Wyvern clan's first alliance with humans in 10th century Scotland.

Star Trek Connections

Many Star Trek actors provided voices for Gargoyles characters, most notably Jonathan Frakes and Martina Sirtis as Xanatos and Demona.

Fandom

This fandom was most active in the late 1990s and early 2000s and largely predated fandom's shift to livejournal, fans interacted through mailing lists and news groups, and most fan sites were found on GeoCities, Angelfire and other free hosting services.

Clans

Many early fans belonged to fan groups called clans. All of these clans were online, but some also met in person at meetings and conventions.

  • Clan Emanon
  • Clan Steelclaw
  • Ky'Son Clan
  • MiniClan
  • Arcadia Clan
  • Can-Clan
  • West Coast Clan

Pairings

Common Tropes in Fanworks

  • No Goliath Chronicles: Some fans dislike the third season, feeling that many characters were OOC in addition to errors in continuity with the previous seasons, and will often ignore those episodes in fanworks or fix-it in some way.
  • Crossover: usually with other Science Fiction and Fantasy fandoms.
  • fanfiction is largely het and gen
  • Original Characters are very popular in this fandom due to gargoyles characteristics

Gathering of the Gargoyles

Main article: Gathering of the Gargoyles

From 1997 - 2009 there were annual fan conventions focused on Gargoyles known as the Gathering of the Gargoyles.

Streaming Revival

Disney made the series available on their Disney+ streaming service in 2020, which led to a renaissance in the fandom as the accessibility of the series on streaming platforms allowed new viewers to discover the series.

Other

Fanworks

Fan Fiction

Fan Art

Fan Vids

Other Fan Creations

Meta

Zines

Multimedia zines & Crossovers

The complex characterization and epic story arcs of Gargoyles made it appealing to many fans who ordinarily would not have watched (or written fic for) an animated series; Gargoyles fanfic, often crossovers, often made appearances in multimedia zines where all the other fandoms were live-action.

Archives and Fannish Links

LJ Communities

Recs

Mailing Lists

  • alt.fan.disney.gargoyles
  • GargoylesFanFiction "Gargoyles Fan Fiction". Archived from the original on 2002-11-24. Description: "This list is intended to give members a chance to share and critique fan fiction they have written or have discovered. This list is intended for people with a real interest in quality fan fiction featuring Disney's Gargoyles. Some of the material posted to this list will be intended for mature audiences. If your posts contain adult material, please identify it in the subject line. Minors are discouraged from subscribing."
  • GargoylesSlash "Gargoyles Slash". Archived from the original on 2002-02-20. Description: "GargoylesSlash is a ML for the teensy little percentage of the population that enjoys slashing characters from the television show Gargoyles. This list is for essentially anything having to do with the theme. This list may deal with material that is not appopriate for minors."
  • gaygargoyles "None". Archived from the original on 2003-07-28. Description: "The place where you can get your gay gargoyle fix. Whether it is art, stories, or just chat. This is the place where you can look at gay pictures of everyone's favorite creatures of the night, the gargoyles. In addition, you can post your stories and just chat about what you would like to do to do if given the opportunity to be with a gargoyle."
  • Brook Lex Love "Brook Lex Love". Archived from the original on 2003-10-28. M/M Slash, F/F Slash ·· Discussion, Fiction, Art/Multimedia, Other, Updates. "The series may be dead, but we all know of a love that will live forever...The love between the Gargoyle's very own Brooklyn and Lexington! If you agree with this statement, this is the place for you. Share your views on the relationship of Brook and Lex here! One rule - NO FLAMES!!!"

Description: a discussion, fic and art list for Brooklyn/Lexington

Authors Pages

Fansites

Deviantart

Characters:

Pairings:

Groups:

Resources

  • Garg Wiki
  • Ask Greg, a section of the Station 8 Gargoyles fansite where series co-creator Greg Weisman responds to fan questions about Gargoyles and other shows he's worked on.

References

  1. ^ comment in "How I discovered U2 slash" post at u2slash dated November 23, 2002; reference link.
  2. ^ Merlin's International House of Nuts, Merlin Missy
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