gays in comics
Comics nominees announced for 23rd GLAAD Media Awards
Kate Kane and Maggie Sawyer, from "Batwoman" #1
Nominations have been announced for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation’s 23rd annual Media Awards, which honor outstanding portrayals of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities.
The nominees for outstanding comic book are:
- Avengers: The Children’s Crusade, by Allan Heinberg and Jimmy Cheung (Marvel)
- Batwoman, by J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman (DC Comics)
- Secret Six, by Gail Simone and Jim Calafiore (DC Comics)
- Veronica Presents: Kevin Keller, by Dan Parent (Archie)
- X-Factor, by Peter David, Emanuela Lupacchino, Valentine De Landro and others (Marvel)
This is the third nomination in a row for X-Factor, which won last year, and the second for Avengers: The Children’s Crusade and Veronica. Winners in all categories will be presented during ceremonies in New York City (March 24), Los Angeles (April 21) and San Francisco (June 2). It’s unclear at which event the comics category will be presented.
- January 19, 2012 @ 09:00 AM by Kevin Melrose
Comics A.M. | Judge bans note-taking in Michael George trial
Legal
Legal | The judge in the trial of former retailer Michael George banned note-taking in the courtroom on Friday out of concern that two women were sharing information with George’s wife Renee. George is on trial for the 1990 murder of his first wife Barbara, and Renee George has been barred from hearing the testimony of other witnesses because she may be called to the stand herself. Also, on Friday a witness testified he had called George’s store at around 5:30 on the day of the murder to ask why an Amazing Spider-Man comic had jumped in value from $5 to $40. Michael Renaud said he spoke to George for about five minutes and that George seemed to be in a hurry to get off the phone; the testimony places him at the crime scene rather than at his mother’s house, where he claimed to be at the time of Barbara’s murder. [The Detroit Free Press]
Conventions | Nearly 5,000 people turned out over the weekend for the second annual Detroit Fanfare, held at the Cobb Center. That’s slightly more than the number who attended the first event at the Dearborn Hyatt Regency, but half what organizer Dennis Barger Jr. had hoped for this year. [The Detroit News]
- September 26, 2011 @ 06:55 AM by Brigid Alverson
DC’s relaunched Teen Titans to debut gay teen superhero [Updated]
Bunker from "Teen Titans"
Following through on its pledge to create “a more modern, diverse DC Universe” with the New 52, DC Comics will introduce a gay teenage superhero in Teen Titans.
Series artist Brett Booth has revealed that Bunker will debut in November’s Issue 3 — he’s referred to as “The Wall” in the solicitation text — where he’s depicted as an openly gay teen from Mexico who “can create small force fields that look like bricks.” The character, whom the artist describes as “happy, fun-loving,” appears in the background in the cover of the first issue and again, more prominently, on the one for Issue 3.
“We’re trying to make being gay a part of who he is,” Booth wrote last night on Twitter.
Bunker isn’t the first gay Titan — that was probably Hero Cruz of Titans L.A., although there was a lot of fan speculation about Jericho when he debuted in 1984 — but he’s (likely) the first gay teen introduced into the post-Flashpoint DC Universe.
Teen Titans, by Scott Lobdell, Booth and Norm Rapmund, premieres on Sept. 28.
Update: On his blog, Booth has posted Lobdell’s description of Bunker:
- September 18, 2011 @ 08:15 AM by Kevin Melrose
Media decide new Spider-Man also may be gay
From the Drudge Report
As sometimes happens when comic-book story developments become mainstream-media sensations, the official announcement yesterday that Marvel’s new Ultimate Spider-Man is a biracial teen named Miles Morales has turned into a game of Telephone, with information added and dropped as the message goes along.
It didn’t take long for London’s Daily Mail to jump from Spider-Man has a half-black, half-Latino teen to a half-black, half-Latino teen … who “could be gay in the future”: “Fans will have to wait until the official Spider Man relaunch next month to find out how he came to be the superhero. But another surprise could be in the pipeline after his creators said that in the future they would not rule out making him gay.”
As best as I can tell, the sole basis for that is a quote from USA Today in which Ultimate Spider-Man artist Sara Pichelli says, “Maybe sooner or later a black or gay — or both — hero will be considered something absolutely normal.” It’s not exactly the same thing, is it? Doesn’t matter, though, as it’s good enough for Matt Drudge to declare that the Spider-Man “reincarnation” “could be gay.”
For the record, a Marvel spokesman was unambiguous when he confirmed for CBR News that Miles Morales isn’t gay.
Still, a blogger for the gay magazine Instinct is pleased with the possibility, writing that “though my money was on Robin as the first mainstream superhero to come out, I’ll be nothing but in awe if Marvel makes the great webbed one bat, err, spider, for our team!”
Meanwhile, Glenn Beck has weighed in on the new Spider-Man, saying, “Do I care if he’s half-Hispanic, all Hispanic? No. Half-black, half — I really don’t care. Half-gay, all gay, I don’t really care. … I don’t care. It’s a stupid comic book.” However, what he does care about is that … Michelle Obama is somehow — somehow! — behind the “half-black, half-Hispanic gay Spider-Man.”
- August 3, 2011 @ 11:10 AM by Kevin Melrose
Comics A.M. | DC’s gay and lesbian heroes, ‘more brooding’ Superman
Stormwatch #1
Publishing | DC Comics Co-Publisher Dan DiDio talks about the gay and lesbian characters appearing in the company’s books come September, including Batwoman and WildStorm imports Apollo, Midnighter and Voodoo: “When we looked at trying to incorporate some of the characters that inhabited the WildStorm universe Apollo and Midnighter are two characters that have always popped out. Not because of what they represent, but they’re just strong characters in their own right and [they] were able to represent a story, a style of character that wasn’t represented in the DC Universe. There’s more of an aggressive nature with those characters that will interact interestingly with other characters and allows us to tell more and better stories.” [The Advocate]
Publishing | Todd Allen, Tom Foss and Graeme McMillan react to the list of changes to the “younger, brasher and more brooding” Superman who will inhabit the DC Universe following the September relaunch. [Indignant Online, Fortress of Soliloquy, Blog@Newsarama]
- July 19, 2011 @ 06:55 AM by Brigid Alverson and JK Parkin
Comics A.M. | Hero author Perry Moore found dead; more on Borders
Perry Moore
Passings | Perry Moore, executive producer of The Chronicles of Narnia movie franchise and author of Hero, was found dead Thursday in his New York City apartment after an apparent overdose. He was 39. A longtime comics fan, Moore wrote the acclaimed 2007 young-adult novel Hero, about the world’s first gay teen superhero. At one point he and Stan Lee were developing the book as a series for Showtime, but the cable network ultimately passed.
Moore was outspoken about the portrayal of gay characters in mainstream superhero comics, releasing in 2007 a “Women in Refrigerators”-inspired list of ignored, mistreated or retconned LGBT heroes. He also appeared at Comic-Con International in 2008 and 2009 on the gays in comics panels. [New York Daily News]
- February 18, 2011 @ 08:31 AM by Kevin Melrose
Comics nominees announced for 22nd annual GLAAD Media Awards
From "Avengers: The Children's Crusade" #3, by Allan Heinberg and Jimmy Cheung
Nominations have been announced for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation’s 22nd annual Media Awards, which honor outstanding portrayals of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities.
The nominees for outstanding comic book are:
• Avengers: The Children’s Crusade, by Allan Heinberg, Jimmy Cheung and others (Marvel)
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer, by Joss Whedon, Brad Meltzer, Georges Jeanty, Scott Allie and others (Dark Horse)
• Fogtown, by Andersen Gabrych and Brad Rader (DC Comics/Vertigo)
• Veronica, by Dan Parent (Archie Comics)
• X-Factor, by Peter David, David Yardin and others (Marvel)
This is the third nomination in a row for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the second for X-Factor. Buffy won in 2008.
In addition, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, director Edgar Wright’s adaptation of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Oni Press series, was nominated for outstanding film-wide release. Winners in all categories will be presented during ceremonies in New York City (March 10), Los Angeles (April 16) and San Francisco (May 14). It’s unclear at which event the comics category will be presented.
Christopher Butcher offers commentary: “Every year I agonize over these awards because they specifically reward the ‘straightest’ material that happens to be nice to gays, rather than doing anything to recognize the work of actual gay cartoonists. I’m trying hard not to do this, this year, because hey, at least they’ve nominated gay writers Allan Heinberg and Andersen Gabrych. And I don’t want to minimize the support or work of vocally queer-friendly creators like David, Meltzer, or Whedon.”
- January 20, 2011 @ 05:03 AM by Kevin Melrose
Quote of the day #2 | “Comics are the literature of outcasts”
“Comics are so often seen as the province of white geeky nerds. But, more broadly, comics are the literature of outcasts, of pariahs, of Jews, of gays, of blacks. It’s really no mistake that we saw ourselves in Doom, Magneto or Rogue.”
–The Atlantic‘s Ta-Nehisi Coates on the influence of superhero comics on hip-hop culture and marginalized people in general. “I tell you [Jim Shooter's writing in Secret Wars] was Faulkner to me,” he says. “I’m 35 years old, and I’m still walking around saying to myself, ‘The Beyonder himself is close at hand…’”
- December 20, 2010 @ 01:00 PM by Sean T. Collins
Comics A.M. | Pirate Bay convictions upheld, digital piracy debated
The Pirate Bay
Legal | A Swedish court last week upheld the copyright convictions of three founders of The Pirate Bay, billed as “the world’s most resilient bittorrent site.” Peter Sunde, Fredrik Neij, Carl Lundstrom and Gottfrid Svartholm Warg were convicted in April 2009 of copyright infringement, fined and sentenced to one year in prison. On Thursday the appeals court reduced the sentence to between four months and 10 months each for Sunde, Nij and Lundstrom while increasing the fine by about $2 million to $6.4 million. A decision regarding Warg’s appeal was postponed because of the defendant’s poor health. [CNET]
Legal | The Japan P.E.N. Club writers group and the Tokyo Bar Association last week announced their opposition to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s latest effort to tighten regulations on the sexual depictions of minors in manga, anime and video games. [Anime News Network]
Piracy | Johanna Draper Carlson and Tim Geiger wade into Colleen Doran’s recent argument against digital piracy. [Comics Worth Reading, Techdirt]
- November 29, 2010 @ 06:39 AM by Kevin Melrose
SDCC ’10 | Hamner redeemed, BOOM! parties and ‘Zod Hates Nags’
Zod Hates Nags
Comic-Con International in San Diego kicks off Wednesday night, July 21 and runs through July 25.
• Artist Cully Hamner wasn’t originally listed as appearing on the Red movie panel on Thursday, despite the fact that he drew the limited series, but it looks like everything’s been worked out and he will indeed be there. Here’s his full schedule.
• BOOM! Studios will host their annual party on Thursday night at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Odysea Bar, starting at 9 p.m. The BOOM! Studios Five-Year Anniversary Drink Up will feature Mark Waid, Ross Richie, Matt Gagnon, Chip Mosher and the rest of the BOOM! crew with various BOOM! creators in attendance “for a night of relaxed fun.” No RSVP or tickets are required.
And speaking of the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, I received an email from them about their Comic-Con plans as well:
“Odysea Lounge at Hilton San Diego Bayfront hopes you will make us your ‘Con Bar’ this July. We welcome all attendees of Comic-Con International to indulge in our fresh, hand-muddled cocktails and our dazzling bay front views. Come order right from your seat from one of our brand new iPads and enjoy Happy Hour daily, 4P-6P and 10P-12A. Our staff is ready to serve you throughout Comic-Con and look forward to making this year a memorable one.”
• Radical Publishing has released their booth schedule, which will include signings by Jimmy Palmiotti, Wesley Snipes, Peter Milligan, Paul Gulacy, Sam Worthington, Rick Remender and many more.
• Kurt Busiek shares his schedule for the con, as well as some thoughts on the Westboro Baptist Church picket that Kevin mentioned last week. He says the best way to respond is to ignore them, then adds, “But on Twitter last night, among the suggestions for counter-statements against the WBC’s rallying cry of ‘God Hates Fags,’ this lovely response came up, coined by Lori Matsumoto and designed by Dane Ault.” Check out the image up top to see the suggested response.
• Which reminds me, Andy Mangels sent word about the 23rd annual Gays in Comics panel and a mixer/silent auction, both on Saturday at the show:
- July 12, 2010 @ 10:30 AM by JK Parkin
New York Times spotlights gay superheroes, fans and creators
By Casey Kelbaugh, for The New York Times
This New York Times feature, by the newspaper’s resident comics reporter George Gene Gustines, is interesting for a few reasons, not the least of which is the amount of territory it covers: It starts out focusing on a gay costume-fetish party in New York City’s West Village before moving on to the increased visibility of gay superhero-comics fans, creators and characters.
The article includes quotes from gay and bisexual creators like Allan Heinberg, Phil Jimenez, Patty Jeres, Andy Mangels and Bob Schreck, as well as a slide show spotlighting prominent gay superheroes.
- April 19, 2010 @ 12:30 PM by Kevin Melrose
Six by 6: Six gay comics that are better than anything on Ranker’s list
The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For
As with Tom Spurgeon and Dirk Deppey (scroll down, it’s at the halfway point), I found myself thoroughly irked at Ranker.com’s incredibly superhero-heavy list of the “10 Most Important Gay Moments in Comic Book History.”
It’s not that the list focuses exclusively on DC and Marvel’s cape-and-Spandex output — that’s fine, so long as you’re willing to add a qualifier or two in your heading and introduction. What truly rankles is author Eric Diaz’s attempt to claim that this list is definitive, i.e. the “most important” moments evar, even though it conveniently ignores any comic that wasn’t published by DC or Marvel (and I’m sorry, but jokes about Batman and Robin’s “special relationship” don’t count). The best comparison I could make would be writing a post entitled the “Best Movies of the 20th Century” and then only including action films. Directed by Michael Bay.
Had Diaz gone outside his reading habits and taken five minutes to do some research, or at least done a Google search for “lgbt comics,” he would have found an large number of books, graphic novels, comic strips and what have you that carry more cultural weight than Rictor swapping spit with Shatterstar.
But rather than howl at the winds I thought I’d attempt to respond by offering my own simple list. This by no means meant to be a definitive or authoritative (or even necessarily matches my own reading tastes and preferences). Rather, I just looked at my bookshelves and quickly pulled off six gay- or lesbian-themed comics I thought were either more influential or aesthetically pleasing than anything Diaz came up with. It really wasn’t very difficult.
- March 8, 2010 @ 03:00 PM by Chris Mautner
The homophobic funny pages
Mickey Mouse practices his own unique brand of tolerance
Jeet Heer has an interesting post up at Sans Everything where, in response to an some odd right-wing tirade about how awful it is that openly gay people show up in modern comics these days, he looks at how homosexuals have been portrayed in the comics books and strips of yesteryear and provides plenty of examples from works like Little Orphan Annie, Wash Tubbs, Gasoline Alley, The Spirit and, yes, Mickey Mouse. The results are … well, let’s just call them politically incorrect and leave it at that, OK?
- December 18, 2009 @ 09:15 AM by Chris Mautner
Gay comic-book characters, from A to Z
Hulkling, Batwoman and Wallace Wells
Sean Brennan, who operates HeroesNHunks (NSFW!), has put together an impressive clearinghouse of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender characters in comic books.
Called QueerSupe, it contains more than 230 names to date — most with images and links to profiles — from Apollo and Midnighter of The Authority to Hopey Glass of Love and Rockets to Tim Gunn of Project Runway and Models, Inc.
(Of those characters, 45 are dead, but, hey, some of the living ones actually appear in books on a regular basis. So, that’s … something. Right?)
QueerSupe seems like a nice, and nicely organized, successor to the Gayleague’s character list, much of which was lost earlier this year when the website was hacked. (That list has begun to reappear, but in a less user-friendly format.)
- October 29, 2009 @ 11:02 AM by Kevin Melrose