Goliath

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Lore & Background

Goliath is the leader of a clan of gargoyles that originally lived in a castle in Scotland in 994. Most of the clan were killed by Vikings while petrified, and the remainder were placed under a spell that prevented them from waking at night until the castle 'rises above the clouds.' A thousand years later in 1994, billionaire David Xanatos purchased the castle and had it reconstructed atop his New York skyscraper, the Eyrie Building, awakening Goliath and the rest of his clan. They are aided by a sympathetic police officer named Elisa Maza and quickly come into conflict with the plotting Xanatos. The series also incorporated various supernatural threats to their safety and to the world at large.

In Their Own Story

One thousand years ago, superstition and the sword ruled. It was a time of darkness. It was a world of fear. It was the age of gargoyles. Stone by day, warriors by night, We were betrayed by the humans we had sworn to protect, frozen in stone by a magic spell for a thousand years. Now, here in Manhattan, the spell is broken, and we live again! We are defenders of the night! We are gargoyles! Goliath's clan was betrayed and killed by humans while petrified in 994, and the survivors were cursed to sleep until the castle rose above the clouds. In 1994, David Xanatos purchased the castle and had it reconstructed atop his New York skyscraper, the Eyrie Building, awakening Goliath and the remainder of his clan. They are aided by police officer Elisa Maza and come into conflict with Xanatos.

Reader's Guide

Goliath is the leader of the Manhattan Clan, a species of nocturnal creatures known as gargoyles that turn to stone during the day. He was awakened in 1994 after a thousand-year enchanted petrified state. His clan was originally from medieval Scotland. He is aided by police officer Elisa Maza. He comes into conflict with billionaire David Xanatos. The series features various supernatural threats.

Did You Know?

• Goliath's clan was betrayed by the human captain and Demona, but the actual killing was done by Vikings while the gargoyles were petrified in 994. The survivors were placed under a spell that prevented them from waking a
• The gargoyles were awakened when billionaire David Xanatos moved their castle to the top of his New York skyscraper, the Eyrie Building.
• Goliath is aided by police officer Elisa Maza, a sympathetic human who helps the clan adjust to modern New York City.
• The series' first season consisted of 13 episodes, with multiple writers contributing; Brynne Chandler Reaves is not credited as a writer on all 13 episodes.
• The third season, Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles, was produced by Nelvana and is considered non-canon by Greg Weisman.

Premise and Setting

The series features a species of nocturnal creatures known as gargoyles that turn to stone during the day, focusing on a clan led by Goliath. In 994, the clan lives in a castle in Scotland. Most are betrayed and killed by humans while petrified and the remainder are magically cursed to sleep—i.e., be frozen in stone form until the castle 'rises above the clouds.' A thousand years later in 1994, billionaire David Xanatos purchases the gargoyles' castle and has it reconstructed atop his New York skyscraper, the Eyrie Building, thus awakening Goliath and the remainder of his clan. While trying to adjust to their new world, they are aided by a sympathetic police officer named Elisa Maza and quickly come into conflict with the plotting Xanatos. In addition to dealing with the gargoyles' attempts to adjust to modern New York City, the series also incorporated various supernatural threats to their safety and to the world at large.

Narrative Tone and Themes

Gargoyles was noted for its relatively dark tone, complex story arcs, and melodrama; character arcs were heavily employed throughout the series, as were Shakespearean themes. The series also received favorable comparisons to Batman: The Animated Series and X-Men: The Animated Series. The second season featured a long mid-season story arc dubbed by fans as 'The Gargoyles World Tour' in which four of the main characters travel the world, encountering other Gargoyles and confronting various mystical and science-fictional dangers.

Production History and Challenges

The series bears no creator credit. Michael Reaves, who wrote the first six episodes and was the primary writer/story editor of the show's first two seasons, has described himself with respect to Gargoyles as 'in on the ground floor [of] creating something iconic'. Greg Weisman also describes himself as one of the creators of Gargoyles. The first season was almost entirely written by Michael Reaves and Brynne Chandler Reaves, who wrote 12 of the 13 episodes; the remaining episode was written by Steve Perry. The first season consisted of 13 episodes. The second season featured 52 episodes. The third and final season aired on ABC as Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles. The show's staff did not think they were likely to get a third season. Disney had just bought Capital Cities, the owners of ABC, and needed programming for its Saturday morning block. The mostly new Gargoyles team developed thirteen more episodes. Weisman has contended Disney had removed him from the team and assigned the rest of the show's run to Nelvana, leaving The Goliath Chronicles to be classified as being non-canon.

Legacy and Franchise Evolution

A video game adaptation and a spin-off comic series were released in 1995. The show's storyline continued from 2006 to 2009 in a comic book series of the same title, produced by Slave Labor Graphics, and was again revived by Dynamite Entertainment in 2022. In 2023, a live-action reboot for Disney+ was announced, to be produced by Atomic Monster.