Hercules: The Legendary Journeys

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Fandom
Name: Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
Abbreviation(s): HtLJ, HTLJ, Hercules
Creator: Christian Williams, Robert Tapert, Sam Raimi, Bernadette Joyce
Date(s): January 16, 1995 – November 22, 1999
Medium: Television Series
Country of Origin: New Zealand, US
External Links: at IMDb
at Wikipedia
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.
art by Jamie Murray (unknown date)

Hercules: The Legendary Journeys is set in a neverland version of ancient Greece that looked amazingly like New Zealand, complete with monsters, interfering gods and an off-the-wall spin on Greek mythology.

It spawned two spinoff shows, Xena: Warrior Princess and Young Hercules.

Characters

Hercules is a demigod, the son of Zeus and a human woman, Alcmene, and possibly immortal. Iolaus, a mortal, is his best friend. Together, they fight monsters, demons and evil warlords, including Xena, but she turned good after three episodes and went off on her own adventures, soon joined by Gabrielle.

Other fandom favorites include Ares, the god of war; his sidekick Strife; Hercules' mortal half-brother Iphicles; Salmoneus, a kindly con man; Autolycus, the King of Thieves; Nebula, a pirate who's also a Sumerian princess; Cupid, god of love; and Joxer.

For individual character pages on Fanlore, see Category:Hercules: The Legendary Journeys Characters

Hercules: the Legendary Journeys Fandom

Most online activity took place on different mailing lists and web sites that were divided up by their focus on certain characters or pairings, genres (gen, het, or slash), and ratings (adult or PG13). There was a great deal of overlap with Xena fandom, especially Joxer and Ares fans.

Nowadays the fandom's grown rather quiet, but several mailing lists are still active.

The slash fandom was split off into various slash pairings. The show also featured a rotating cast of female characters, with plenty of opportunity for romantic fanfic. If there was acrimony in the past, it seems to be concentrated on the slash versus gen debate, rather than pairing wars. The large cast of recurring characters tended to lend itself to multiple pairings, as well as gen and adult adventure stories.

Pairings

Tropes

Sample Fanworks

Hercules fandom was one of the first "internet fandoms," but it also created paper zines, both slash and gen. However, with the series off the air for decades, the on-site fansites may still be functional but no longer updated or maintained. Most are gone or decaying.

Fan Art

Also See: Fanart

  • Hercules and Iolaus ("Look at this beautiful artwork of Hercules and Iolaus that I commissioned from the lovely eliounora! Such amazing details, I love it! I love them! 💛💜") (Jul 22nd, 2023)

Zines

Hercules: the Legendary Journeys was primarily an online fandom, with most of the fan fiction appearing in online archives such as the Iolausian Library, but it still produced some fanzines.

Some of the zines listed also contain Young Hercules stories.

April Fools | Blessings of Battle | The Brass Jar Series | By the Sword of Ares | The Conscience of a King | The Daily Muse | Discipline (Stargate and Xena crossover zine) | The Euphonius Scrolls | A Friend in Need | The Gates of Death | Gods and Heroes | Gods and Monsters | Gods Darkness Desire | Herculean Chronicle | Hercules: The Legendary Journeys Special Gen Collection | Honor's Path | Joxer Fairy Tales | The Less Than Legendary Journeys (zine) | Loose Arrows | Mistakes of the Past | Monsters R Us | Oracle | The Panathenea Scrolls | The Sorbo Sentinel | Thermopylae! | To Heroes | The View From Olympus |You're Hercules? | You're Iolaus? | You're Salmoneus?

Vids

Vids by Mary Crawford, including a splendidly cracktastic Hercules/Widow Twanky Holding Out for a Hero vid, and an Iolaus vid Live Til I Die.

Mailing Lists

  • Joxer Fic "Joxer Fic". Archived from the original on 2003-08-28. Description: "Want to see Hercules' Autolycus, the Prince Of Thieves with the big blonde dude. The Golden Hunter? Dark and dangerous Ares? We're eager to have you share your general, hetero and slash fiction with us, smarm and beyond. The stories posted to this list will eventually be archived on WWOMB unless you make a 'DO NOT POST' notation. Stories posted should use the templete found in the submissions page on the archive. I don't have the time or inclination to monitor the posts for minor ears, so adults only. Be honest, guys."
  • Hercules Ares Xena Universe "Hercules Ares Xena Universe". Archived from the original on 2003-09-01. Description: "Herc luvs Iolaus, Joxer luvs Ares. Auto luvs... everybody and Xena, well it's a toss up between Ares and Gabbie, general friendship, hetero and slash fiction, smarm through BDSM and beyond welcome here, fiction archived at WWOMB, a multi-fandom, all genres fiction archive, unless there is a "No Archive" note in the story headers."
  • Iolaus Fic "Iolaus Fic". Archived from the original on 2003-09-01. Description: "Iolaus, of Hercules the Legendary Journeys, has a large following in his own right. This list is to discuss the life and times of the Golden Hunter through discussion and the elusive story, general, hetero or slash. Any stories posted here will be archived in the WWOMB. Since this list accepts NC-17 topics, you must be over legal age to join."
  • Hercules Goes BDSM "Hercules Goes BDSM". Archived from the original on 2003-09-01. Description: "There is something about The Hercules Universe that just screams BDSM me....At least it does to me. If you agree, join me in the sharing of chat and stories. All stories, be they general, hetero or slash, will be posted to the list archive(s) unless they include a Do Not Archive notation. Due to the nature of the list, joining confirms you are over legal age."

Story Archives

Conventions

Meta/Further Reading

Official Fan Club

The official fan club published the zine Herculean Chronicle.

References

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