Ode to Ares (and Xena)

So, last weekend, I was trying to think of characters for a new story idea. I wanted to pick actors or models who looked liked my protagonists and I was having a hard time picking a face for the lead male. Finally, I thought of Kevin Tod Smith, the actor who played Ares on Xena: Warrior Princess. I was a big fan of the show, though I sadly never saw the last couple of seasons.

As I was searching online, I found a few tribute sites (Kevin passed away in 2002). Then, I stumbled on something I'd never seen before: a series of tribute videos on YouTube. The first video I found was by far one of the best:



Another good one actually shows the characters talking and the music is great. The only thing that annoys me about this is the subtitles. But the rest of it is beautiful, so I'll overlook it. The creator did not want the videos to be embedded in other websites, so here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxJZ8MO26uI

This one is much more fun. And, it shows the juicy parts. Obviously, I missed a lot in those last seasons of Xena!!



Early on in the show, I had postulated that Ares was really in love with Xena and I was happy to see from these tribute videos that the show did finally reveal that and that other viewers were as crazy about Xena and Ares as I was.

So, this is my tribute to Kevin Smith. My Ares and the model for one of my new heroes.

May he live on forever...