"Stone by Day, Warriors by Night"

-This is a review for the 2-disc Special 10th Anniversary Edition of Gargoyles: The Complete First Season)-


In 1994, Walt Disney Studios took a risk on an unusually dark premise for an animated television series. Little did they know that it would become a critically acclaimed epic. Over a decade after it's cancellation, the series has a devoted cult following. The series was exceptionally well-written and the animation surpassed just about every other animated series on TV at the time. But what really made Gargoyles stand out was its mythological, philosophical, psychological, and social depth. The stories utilized everything from Shakespearean melodrama to science fiction, from medieval folklore to organized crime. It was also very progressive in a sociopolitical sense. It took a stand against all forms of prejudice and bigotry, and even featured an episode devoted to the dangers of handguns.


The story involves a clan of gargoyles, creatures who are stone by day, but flesh and blood warriors by night. The gargoyles, who live in a medieval Scottish castle, are betrayed by the humans they once protected and are frozen in an enchanted sleep for a thousand years... until an egotistical and corrupt billionaire awakens them in modern day Manhattan. There they must learn to adapt to a drastically different world where those they protect fear them and those that offer them their support only seek to control them.


The series had an amazing cast of voices to bring to life an even more amazing cast of characters, including:

Goliath - voiced by Keith David
The noble leader of the gargoyle clan and a fearsome yet just warrior.

Hudson - voiced by Ed Asner
The venerable former leader of the clan, and Goliath's most trusted friend and ally.

Brooklyn - voiced by Jeff Bennett
The most courageous of the younger gargoyles, Brooklyn proves himself to be a natural leader.

Lexington - voiced by Thom Adcox Hernandez
The most scientifically minded of the clan, Lexington often helps the others to understand technology.

Broadway - voiced by Bill Fagerbakke
The portly and somewhat naïve gargoyle who looks for the best in everyone.

Bronx - voiced by Frank Welker
The gargoyles' dog like pet, fearsome yet friendly and always loyal.

Demona - voiced by Marina Sirtis
Goliath's former lover and second in command, now his most vicious enemy.

Elisa Maza - voiced by Salli Richardson
A New York City detective who may be the only human that the gargoyles can trust.

Xanatos - voiced by Jonathan Frakes
The billionaire responsible for awakening the gargoyles and the most deceptive of all their adversaries.

Owen Burnett - voiced by Jeff Bennett
Xanatos' enigmatic and ambiguous right-hand man who holds an astonishing secret.

Princess Katharine - voiced by Kath Soucie
At first prejudiced against the gargoyles, the princess later championed them for their righteousness and bravery.

The Magus - voiced by Jeff Bennett
The brash wizard who cast the spell on the gargoyles and later raised the hatchlings.

Hakon - voiced by Clancy Brown
The cruel Viking leader responsible for slaughtering the gargoyle clan in 994 A.D.

Macbeth - voiced by John Rhys-Davies
An immortal warrior king who may or may not be the gargoyles' foe.

Coldstone - voiced by Michael Dorn
Formerly a friend of Goliath, now a reanimated monster under Xanatos' control.

The Pack
A group of mercenaries given their own TV show, The Pack are a force to be reckoned with.

The Steel Clan
Xanatos' robotic army created to keep the gargoyles in his control or destroy them if needed.


The thirteen Season One episodes included in this 2-disc set are:

1. Awakening: Part One
The saga begins as Goliath and his clan repels a Viking attack in the year 994 A.D. and are betrayed by those they protect.

2. Awakening: Part Two
The gargoyles are frozen in an enchanted sleep and then awakened a thousand years later by Xanatos.

3. Awakening: Part Three
The gargoyles meet and befriend Elisa Maza, explore the city and learn about the contemporary world.

4. Awakening: Part Four
Goliath and Elisa build a relationship, Demona returns and Xanatos sends the gargoyles on a mission.

5. Awakening: Part Five
The gargoyles complete their mission and the truth is revealed about Xanatos' and Demona's treachery.

6. The Thrill of the Hunt
Lexington thinks he's found the perfect allies in The Pack, but instead he learns not to trust what he sees on television.

7. Temptation
Demona tries to seduce Brooklyn into accepting her twisted worldview and her all-consuming hatred of mankind.

8. Deadly Force
Broadway accidentally shoots Elisa while the rest of the gargoyles hunt down those they believe to be her assailants.

9. Enter Macbeth
Macbeth attacks the gargoyles believing them to be in league with Demona, his former friend and greatest enemy.

10. The Edge
Xanatos proves himself to be a brilliant manipulator while he strategically controls all those around him.

11. The Long Way to Morning
Demona tracks down Goliath and Hudson, while Hudson reminisces about the old days when he was leader.

12. Her Brother's Keeper
Xanatos chooses Elisa's younger brother as his latest recruit and Elisa tries to warn him of Xanatos' intentions.

13. Reawakening
Through science and magic, Xanatos and Demona resurrect a dead gargoyle and trick him into fighting Goliath.

If the series opening from season two doesn't have you dying to see this, you must be braindead...

Though Gargoyles only lasted for a few years it managed to spawn a spin-off series (Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles) and its impact on outcast teens and adults today is as strong as when it first aired. Gargoyles wasn't just a flash in the pan trend like many of today's cartoons. It's an intelligent and provocative masterpiece that shows that even if you're different that you can still be accepted, and more importantly that we can help to create a better world by having faith in one another.