YSU English professor Scott Leonard, pictured with his book on mythology, appears in the History Channel's 'Clash of the Gods.'

When English professor Scott Leonard was asked to lend his expertise on mythology to the History Channel's miniseries Clash of the Gods, he was surprised to find his wisdom would be shared in front of the camera.

"They contacted me through e–mail," Leonard said. "They had discovered me based on the textbook I had written" – Myth and Knowing: An Introduction to World Mythology.

Leonard had originally thought that producers wanted him simply to correspond through e–mail as an expert reference. But earlier this year, they asked him to come to New York for filming. Plane tickets and an 18–page list of questions and topics to "brush up" on soon arrived.

February 11 was a whirlwind day for Leonard. He arrived in New York in the morning and was taken to the seventh floor of a vacant apartment building where the shoot was set–up.

"The crew and producers were great and made me feel right at home," he said. "The toughest part was standing on a mark in front of a camera, answering questions and discussing matters of interpretation and historical context for five hours, almost non–stop. There was a break for a drink of water here and there, though."

He returned to Youngstown that night.

Leonard's background in mythology dates back to his undergraduate studies at Humboldt State University in Arcata, Calif., where he had a professor who acted as a mentor.

"I took this stimulating mythology literature course with this instructor who really made me fall in love with it," he said. "He showed us that myths aren't just exotic ancient artifacts but living, breathing forces in all societies at all times, including our own."

After earning a doctorate from Ohio State University in 1992, Leonard joined the YSU faculty, which just happened to need a professor to teach mythology.

"I continued to study and research the topic as I taught it until I became a generalist in the field of world mythology," he said.

Leonard appears in five of the nine Clash of the Gods episodes, giving commentary on a variety of topics and figures.

This will not be the last time Leonard will get in front of cameras to discuss mythology. The World Book Encyclopedia petitioned the professor for assistance in expanding its section on mythology and mythological figures. "I was recently re–contacted because they want to film a supplemental video," he said. "These opportunities seem to keep coming up with increased interest in mythology these days."

Clash of the Gods airs on The History Channel on Mondays at 10 p.m. The full episodes can be viewed online at www.history.com and clicking the Clash of the Gods link.