Ex "Gargoyles," Scientia
From the day of its premiere, "Gargoyles" showed itself to be something very different from a typical afternoon cartoon. The heroes were monstrous and inhuman in appearance. The lead hero brooded over Dostoevsky and Shakespeare in a darkened library. The lead villain was handsome and ruthless, but flawed in a uniquely human way. The good guys had tempers and made mistakes. The bad guys had reasons for what they did. People died. And that was merely in "Awakenings." Something new and wonderful had been created, and we were witness.
From discussions with one another, and choice tidbits given us by our creators, we learned that nothing occured by accident in this carefully-constructed universe. Fragments of conversation in early episodes became major plot threads in the second season. Even the overwhelmingly disappointing third season had the occasional spark of charm and life that echoed the original sixty-five episodes. Today, over a year after the broadcast of "Angels in the Night," threads from the early episodes are being woven into independent fanfics and The Gargoyles Saga. At the same time, we hope for a return to the series we love.
This feature will not bring "Gargoyles" back to us. It is not a petition, nor is it a fanfic to continue the ideals of the series. In the series, the Grimorum Arcanorum was a book of magic spells. Now it is a book of essays. Each month, we will feature a new essay on some aspect of "Gargoyles." The purpose of these essays is to explore more deeply various themes and characterizations seen on the series. The final result: a group of serious, well-constructed treatises on a subject dear to our hearts. When someone disparages the show because "it's just a cartoon," one may point here. It is not just a cartoon. It is a rare work of visual literature, and it deserves to be studied as such.
That said, we now present for your approval the first in what we hope will be a long series of entertaining and thought-provoking editorials. Before Brooklyn and Owen helped redefine the term "sex symbols," before Elisa and Goliath's friendship could even be wildly speculated as a relationship, a mysterious and broken figure captured the imagination of the fandom: Demona.