In a world where cartoons made in the western hemisphere were made to be goofy, Greg Weisman proposed to Disney a dramatic animated series for young people with a compelling plot, well-rounded characters and contained actual death. That series was Gargoyles.
Gargoyles is about Goliath and his clan, a group of gargoyles that survived a massacre, leaving these few to begin a new life in modern times. Drama, action, adventure, all coupled with great animation and voice acting (especially if you love Star Trek: TNG) made Gargoyles a surprise hit during the Age of Disney Afternoon.
I love me some world building, and friends, you get your fill plus a doggie bag to take home. The show begins in the past, at the gargoyles’ castle home. You think this flashback is only setup for getting them to modern New York, not quite. Important human characters are introduced—characters who, one way or another, we’ll see again. And that’s just the start. Everyone has a story and you learn most are more connected than first thought.
The gargoyles themselves are varied in looks and personalities. At some point each gets an episode and moments in different episodes to shine. Goliath’s distrust of humans but falling in love with badass NY cop Elisa Masa. Broadway learning about gun violence, the hard way. Lexington’s growing love of electronics. Brooklyn’s desire to help his clan. Hudson meeting a friend (relatively) his age. Bronx being the unexpected hero. All are just some of experiences awaiting the gargoyles.
A mix of fantasy and science fiction always fascinated me. We get that in gargoyles. Whether it’s the clan facing off against robot gargoyles or dealing with magical beings, sometimes instances of both being used at once, like when sorcery and technology combined to create Coldstone. There’s a wealth of genres and mythologies being tapped into to make a fantastical world.
The villains! I’m all about a story having compelling antagonists and Gargoyles meets and surpasses those standards. Not many western animated shows have come close to some the best bad guys on Gargoyles serves.
Xanatos. The charismatic schemer with plans within plans. A mastermind in the highest sense of the word.
Demona. One of the most interesting, complex villains in animation history. All you Azula fans from Avatar the Last Airbender, look upon her and shudder. I love Azula but Demona’s character blows her out the water—er—fire. Just these two alone would be enough but we also get Macbeth, Thailog, Dr. Sevarius—the list goes on. Gargoyles is a show full of great villains to challenge our heroes. Them alone are worth the price of admission.
The only bad things I can say about the show is it’s only two seasons long. Yeah, I said two, the third season, made by ABC doesn’t count. It was a watered down continuation. You can instantly tell its subpar, even without noticing the dollar store change in animation. Those episodes don’t hold a candle to the first two seasons. Do NOT watch season three!
Instead, read the comics. The real continuation is there, wrapped in the loving arms of Mr. Weisman. Clan Building vol. 1 & 2 are the true season three. Read that and the Bad Guys spin-off series. Again, the Gargoyles franchise is so large, it’s a shame we don’t have more. If there’s a series that needs that long-running Buffy comic continuation it’s Gargoyles.
If you love Avatar the Last Airbender, Steven Universe, or any other cartoon show with good storytelling, watch Gargoyles. The OG of the modern western character driven animation series.
Mammoth Base Opera Castle 