News, Reviews & Commentary on Gay and Bisexual Men in Entertainment and the Media

The Week in Gay Geek: Remembering Steve Gerber, Torchwood Babiez and more!

  • Steve Gerber, RIP:
    Early this week, the comics world was saddened to learn that influential comics creator Steve Gerber had died. Gerber's most important creation was Howard the Duck, which mixed absurd elements with social relevance (including mockery of anti-gay activists like Anita Bryant); Gerber made a lasting mark on comics.

    I have to admit, I never warmed up to Howard the Duck but loved his mini-series Nevada (which turned a throwaway Howard gag about a showgirl and her pet ostrich battling a lamp into a series of its own) and his prison drama Hard Time (which included a great transgender character). There's a long list of amazing comics we wouldn't have seen if not for Gerber's influence on the medium. (In case you haven't noticed, all of the images at the top come from comics Gerber wrote, including an issue from his Defenders run.)

  • Which raises the question of if the Face of Boe is any different:
    On a cheerier note, this could be my new favorite fancomic in ages: Torchwood Babiez, which hilariously makes fun of the Doctor Who spin-off using adorable pint-sized versions of the Torchwood team. There's also a special guest appearance by an adorable pint-sized Doctor... and is that a lil' Rose Tyler with the Dalek dolly?

    I always chuckle at the sight of Ianto crying in Jack's arms.

  • Thomas Roddy has a Heart:
    I wasn't aware of Sequential Heart until Pride High creator Tommy Roddy became a part of the organization. The group works on getting comics that would otherwise end up discarded or destroyed to be donated to homeless youth programs. Sounds like a cause worth paying attention to ... I wonder if they'd be interested in nine copies of X-Force #1...

  • Glam and Pride:
    Meanwhile, Roddy's Pride High was also one of the recipients of Prism Comics' Queer Press Grant, along with Justin Hall's Glamizonia. The Queer Press Grant is focused on helping LGBT-created and themed comics get published, an additional challenge for independent creators (the major arena for finding gay inclusive comics) that can really distract from the creative process. Both Hall and Roddy say they plan on using the grant to publish collected editions of their series, which certainly make me happy as someone who usually waits for something that'll sit nicely on my bookshelf.

  • The gay Wondercon agenda:
    And speaking of Prism Comics, those of you planning on attending Wondercon next week should check out the organization's plans for the Bay Area comic convention. As usual gay creators will be spending time at the booth (including Hall and Roddy) and Prism is hosting a panel Saturday afternoon on LGBT voices in comics as well as a reading and mixer at the San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Center. Prism is also looking for volunteers to help man the booth.

  • Releasing Spores:
    One of the most highly anticipated games finally got a release date this week. It turns out that evolution sim game Spore will hit stores September 7. If you're not familiar with Spore, it's the latest innovative idea from the same mind that gave us SimCity and the gay-inclusive The Sims, Will Wright. The game will let you control the evolution of a species from the single-cell stage, guiding them through becoming sentient, forming civilizations and developing technologies. I think the last time I was this excited over a game, it was over The Sims.

  • The Eiffel Tower lit by the glow of a blue screen:
    Lastly, here's a bit of Microsoft schadenfreude humor for you: a photograph of the video billboard outside of the Paris casino in Vegas showing a blue screen of death. Because it's funny when the blue screen doesn't toll for thee.


  • LyleMasaki's blog
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  • Andros's picture

    OMG! This Torchwood

    OMG! This Torchwood fancomic is the best fancomic since the now dead Fang Gang Lite. Thanks Lyle!

    http://community.livejournal.com/fangganglite/6834.html

    you_will's picture

    awww, haha

    the TW babies are too cute. :-P
    zan's picture

    "The Gay Agenda" for WonderCon

    I'm finalizing a downloadable "cheat sheet" for what's gay at WonderCon, including signings, panels, and offsite events. Should be finished and downloadable from PrismComics.org very soon.
    Last Comic-Con, I also did a Gmail calendar that people could subscribe to, and we embedded it into a number of the Prism Comics feature pages about the show. Did anyone find those useful, or was it just Web 2.0 masturbation? ;-)
    In any event, I'm planning on doing more photo-parade type postings from the 'Con like I did from Comic-Con, so everyone can enjoy the show vicariously. This will be my first WonderCon, so I have no idea what to expect! (Well... I have SOME idea...)
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    http://www.northwestcomics.com
    http://www.prismcomics.org
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    DeafRickyUSA's picture

    Awwwww!! Torchwood babies so CUTE!!!!!

     I want to hug them!
    Rainy's picture

    TW Babiez!

    I love the Torchwood Babiez!

    And yes, that's supposed to be Rose - and her little pet Dalek is called Bob ;-) And Ianto has a doll of cyber-girlfriend Lisa. They are all so adorable =)

    HollyG's picture

    Howard the Duck

    candleI'll miss his creator...one of the reasons I create comics.

    Your memory will live on Steve!


    trekkiepirate's picture

    Torchwood Babiez are my

    Torchwood Babiez are my favourite thing ever! Jack comforting Ianto, Gwen and  Myfanwy, Tosh and her baby laptop, Owen playing video games (how very House-like) and snarking away. And baby Doctor is adorable Rose and Bob the Dalek steal the show however.

    I want to be a hero like Captain Jack Harkness, kicking butt and snogging anything with a pulse! Besides, then I get a sexy receptionist of my very own.

    Jacob's picture

    I've been waiting for Spores

    I've been waiting for Spores for what... three years now? I hope it's not like any other half a dozen games that keep getting pushed back time and time again. And it feels so good to be on the internet again, I just don't know how I'll ever get through the backlog of gay stuff that's happened while I've been gone. But Spore!!!!! Oh so excited...

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