Thirty Years Of Disney’s Gargoyles

For three decades the story of stone creatures come to life has both entertained and fascinated viewers. Originally airing on a program block associated with light hearted children’s entertainment showed that animation could be much more than just “kids stuff”. Let us revisit the mysterious and enchanted world of Disney’s Gargoyles. 

Created by producer Greg Wiseman, the series stood out against its contemporaries at the Disney Afternoon program block. Unlike other shows focused on gags and slapstick comedy, Gargoyles took a darker and more episodic approach similar to Batman: The Animated Series, which aired around the same time.

The series saw a group of Gargoyles who had been frozen for millennia awaken in New York City. They decide to make the city their new home and defend it from various threats.

They are led by Goliath (Keith David) with the rest of the clan being named after various NYC locations such as Husdon (Ed Asner), Brooklyn (Jeff Bennett), Lexington (Thom Adcox-Hernandez), Broadway (Bill Fagerbakke) and Bronx (Frank Welker). They also befriend an NYC police officer named Eliza Maza (Salli Richardson).



Other characters include recurring villains such as the wealthy Xanatos (Jonathan Frakes), Goliath’s former love interest Demona (Mariana Sirtis), and the Shakespearean king Macbeth (John-Rhys-Davies). Many of the show’s antagonists were more than your standard bad guy and many of their motivations were expanded upon through dedicated episodes. 

The show first aired on October 24th, 1994, with a single season of 13 episodes. After the show proved to be popular, a second season with 52 episodes was greenlit. The series would have multiple story arcs, focusing on world-building and drama. 

Perhaps one of the most well-known episodes was “Deadly Force,” which dealt with Gun Safety.

A third season titled The Goliath Chronicles aired in 1996 without Wiseman’s involvement.

This season consisted only of 13 episodes and is often considered non-canon by fans due to its shift in tone and execution. The show would officially end in February of 1997. 

While nothing ever materialized, there were plans for the Gargoyles to crossover with Atlantis: The Lost Empire through the canceled Team Atlantis television series. The episode “The Last” would have seen the crew cross paths with Demona at the Notre Dame Cathedral in 1920. While the episode never aired, the script was later adapted by fans into an audio play.

The series would spawn multiple media, such as comic books, video games, and even an action figure line by Kenner. 

Over the years, attempts have been made to revive the property. Wiseman has wanted to continue the series in animated form to finish the story.

However, in 2023, it was announced that a live-action series from Swamp Thing producer Gary Duberman is currently in development for Disney+. We will have to wait and see how faithfully the series is recreated in live-action.

The Gargoyles franchise has grown a dedicated following due to its willingness to compete with and stand out from other Disney programming of the time. To this day, Disney still develops merchandise based on this series, knowing that there is a hardcore audience hungry for more. Hopefully, with the upcoming reboot, the series will continue to grow and attract new fans to keep it going into the future. 

What was your favorite part of Gargoyles? Was there a specific episode or story arc that stood out to you? Let us know your favorite memories with the franchise.