Tina Fey might think it's not right for gay people to be nerds, but with the Green Lantern being rewritten as a gay man, comic books and video games catering to LGBT audiences and Reddit's ever-growing r/gaymers community, it seems a lot of people would disagree.
Sometimes, it's good to be a gay nerd, like today, as we have posted two interviews -- one with the minds behind "The Venture Bros.," and one with the minds behind "Superjail!" -- or tomorrow, which marks the start of Comic-Con 2012.
Held in San Diego from July 12-15, Comic Con 2012 will draw geeks, gamers, and superfans -- including Huffington Post Entertainment's Mike Ryan -- from all over to check-up on their favorite franchises and sit-in on panel discussions with the creative forces behind them.
Though there are many movie and TV exhibitors to look forward to this year, some of the most popular annual panels at Comic-Con are hosted by the Cartoon Network's late-night programming block, Adult Swim. The network is known for being, as "Venture Bros." co-creator Doc Hammer said in an interview with Gay Voices, "a feral network... way outside the mainstream." Perhaps this is why, compared with many other networks, Adult Swim has had so many shows that feature LGBT characters and showcase them in a nuanced light by examining, poking fun at or smashing stereotypes.
One show won a GLAAD award for a positive depiction of a same-sex relationship, whereas another featured Jesus' hairdresser as an over-the-top, flamboyant gay party-boy. Offensive or not, the LGBT characters on the network break the mold of tokenized, flat queer characters common in mainstream media. As "Superjail!" writing director Janine DiTullio said in an interview with Gay Voices, "Maybe that should be the network’s new tag line, 'Adult Swim, we're 20% more gay.'"
So, to quell your pre-Comic-Con jitters, we have collected 35 LGBT characters from shows on Adult Swim, and interviewed the minds behind two Adult Swim shows, about the network, LGBT characters on their shows, and upcoming seasons. Read the interview with "Venture Bros." co-creators, Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick, and the interview with "Superjail!" creator Christy Karacas and writing director Janine DiTullio.
Check out the collection of 35 LGBT characters from shows on Adult Swim below. Who are your favorites? Who are we missing?
