Since her first appearance in the beloved Disney Gargoyles cartoon series over three decades ago, the character of Demona has emerged to be one of the most complex villains in cartoon storytelling–or any storytelling, really. Like all good antagonists, what makes Demona so compelling is that you can see why she is so angry. You may not agree with her motives or methods, and you may recognize she’s the architect of some of her own suffering, but you understand why she’s made the moves she has during her long cartoon and comic history.

And this summer, we’ll get to know a bit more about Demona’s past and present in Dynamite Entertainment’s upcoming miniseries Gargoyles: Demona from the creative team of writer Greg Weisman and artist Frank Paur–who were co-showrunners of the cartoon–along with colorist Robby Bevard, letterer Jeff Eckleberry, and editor Nate Cosby. I spoke with Greg Weisman about the genesis of the Demona character and how she’s changed since that first conception, working with co-showrunner Frank Paur on the comic, the impact of immortality on the gargoyle, and how Demona constantly surprises Weisman.

Dynamite’s previous Gargoyles installments have captured the feel and spirit of the original source material while being accessible to newer fans, and Gargoyles: Demona shouldn’t prove any different. That’s a testament to Weisman’s love and care for his creations and knowing when to let them breathe and take flight. Demona is such a rich and complicated character and it’ll be a joy to see what pathos and nuance the miniseries will give the long-lived gargoyle.

 

 

FreakSugar: Demona is such a multilayered and complicated character across all of the media we’ve seen in the 30+ years since her initial appearance. Before we get into the miniseries itself, what was the process of creating Demona all those many years ago?

Greg Weisman: Demona actually was developed for our original comedy-adventure version of the series. Back then, she was named Dakota, and she was the leader of the Clan. (Goliath – even a proto-version of Goliath – didn’t exist yet.)

The problem was… Dakota seemed boring. So, we changed her name to Demona and made her a villain. Later, when we rebooted the development to create the action-drama version of Gargoyles that we all know and love, Demona carried over into it – as the one Gargoyle who wasn’t a hero. She became Goliath’s mate, his ex, and the mother of Angela. She became a somewhat tragic figure – one who had not been sleeping for 1,000 years but had been awake all that time, an immortal who’d “survived” all sorts of trauma, but who was usually the major cause of most of her own misery. She went, in essence, from being the dull Dakota to the multi-dimensional Demona that fascinates us all.

FS: Where do we find Demona at the beginning of the miniseries?

GS: We pick up Demona’s story in the year 1093. She’s survived the Wyvern Massacre. She’s survived her alliance with Macbeth. She’s survived losing her Scottish Clan and her position of power. She’s learned she’s immortal. But she’s lost and alone and really quite bitter.

FS: This particular look into Demona’s past is new to the Gargoyles mythos. How long has this story been brewing? Did you have it in mind all those years ago?

GW: Yeah. Thirty-plus years. Once we realized that Demona had been awake for all those centuries during which the Manhattan Clan was asleep, we knew we had a thousand years of stories to tell about her.

 

 

FS: As we’re going to get a glimpse of Demona’s time throughout the centuries, will we see how her immortality affects her state of mind?

GW: Absolutely. I’m (famously) not one for spoilers. But you can count on seeing the perils of immortality on Demona throughout.

FS: Will we see the events of this miniseries reverberate into future Gargoyles comics?

GW: Inevitably.

FS: You’re working with Frank Paur, co-showrunner from the original Gargoyles series. What is your collaboration on the comic like?

GW: Frank and I produced Gargoyles together as co-showrunners. His contribution was essential to the making of the show. Working with him on it again has been truly wonderful. The idea to do this mini-series was Frank’s, and we plotted it together. Now, I’m writing the scripts, and he’s penciling and inking the pages, and they’re all knockouts!

FS: Demona is such a defined character in the Gargoyles world and in animation and comics in general. What is the most satisfying part of writing her character?

GW: I’m not sure I’d use the word “defined” to describe her. She’s a constant source of surprise, while simultaneously being a character who almost refuses to learn from her mistakes – because she refuses to admit that she’s ever made a mistake. She’s one of the most complex villains I’ve ever come across. And that’s a joy to write.

FS: Following up on that, has she changed for you in these past decades? If so, how?

GW: Again, she’s a constant source of revelation. And yet she’s also horrifyingly consistent. So, the details continue to surprise. But the thread of her story remains tragically the same.

FS: You’ve worked on these characters for years. What keeps you coming back to them? What about them charges your creative muscles?

GW: Oh, you know… they’re my babies. I have tremendous love for them. And the Gargoyles universe is a very rich – and still largely unexplored – playground. I love telling stories there. Usually, they play out in such a way that it just feels right. More like I’m tapping into that Universe than creating it.  nd then, there are the fans. Their enthusiasm and mine have tended to feed off each other. It’s a good combo.

FS: If you had one final pitch for the comic, what would it be?

GW: You’ll see sides of Demona you’ve never seen before. Frank and I (and Robby and Jeff and Nate) are putting her – and her foster daughter Angelika – through some strange and new paces, with every issue being in a different genre. For Gargoyles fans, new or old, this is really a series you do not want to miss.

Gargoyles: Demona #1 goes on sale Wednesday, July 9, 2025, Dynamite Entertainment.

From the official issue description of issue #1:

A THOUSAND YEARS OF ADVENTURE BEGINS HERE!

After kicking off with a special prologue story in Dynamite Entertainment’s Free Comic Book Day issue #0, the long-awaited tale of Goliath’s former love and sworn enemy of the Manhattan Clan gets underway in earnest with a return to the Dark Ages and the aftermath of the destruction of Castle Wyvern!

The year is 1093, and the now-immortal Demona has become a lonely and hunted creature. Bereft of both clan and home after her betrayal of Scotland’s king, she wanders south to Northumberland in search of a safe haven – only to find that her old nemesis, Canmore, is raiding the city.

Canmore’s destruction is visited upon human and Gargoyle alike, and when she discovers the depths of his cruelty and the fate of her kind at his hands, Demona’s fury sets in motion a cycle of vengeance that will last for centuries – and may yet consume the entire world!

Written by Gargoyles creator GREG WEISMAN and illustrated by acclaimed artist – and veteran of the original animated series – FRANK PAUR, this first chapter of the brand-new, centuries-spanning saga Gargoyles: Demona features cover art for the ages from PAUR, MEGHAN HETRICK, MARK SPEARS, and JAE LEE & JUNE CHUNG!