Matthew Montgomery joins the Canvas

In a continued effort to bring you all that is important in the world of gay entertainment and ensure that you are being spoon-fed images of gorgeous, commoditized manflesh, we present the newly-minted AfterElton Briefs. Following the usual assortment of carefully-selected news items, interested readers can find a refreshing pic of a hot man in underwear after the jump. Yes, we're serious.

• The Kids in the Hall (of course featuring the irrepressible Scott Thompson) are going back on tour, and from the looks of this promo video, they haven't lost their edge.

• Speaking of Scott Thompson, a film that we mentioned a while back that he's starring in has a new castmember: out actor Matthew Montgomery (Long-Term Relationship) has signed on as Thompson's partner in the upcoming gay movie Shifting the Canvas. Trick's JP Pitoc stars as a gay artist navigating the bohemia that is NYC's Williamsburg neighborhood.

• Gay author Augusten Burroughs has released a chapter of his new memoir, A Wolf at the Table, on his website, complete with four songs (Tegan & Sara! Ingrid Michaelson!) to help set the mood as you read. (the book streets April 29)

• Above is the first glimpse we've had of John Barrowman's hosting gig on the new UK game show The Kids Are Alright, which is kind of like Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?, only with a much better title. Oh, and an openly gay host.

• The folks at Media Matters are going all-out in their campaign against Bill O'Reilly, and you can join them. Couldn't happen to a better guy.

And today's Briefs are brought to you by...

And by Buddy Cole I of course mean Scott Thompson, the actor and comedian perhaps best known as "the gay one" from the groundbreaking comedy series The Kids in the Hall.

Raised in Ontario, Thompson was asked to leave his University for being "disruptive", joined a sketch comedy troupe called The Love Cats, and met Mark McKinney, who brought him into the Kids.

The Kids made quite a splash on American television due to their cross-dressing habits and their frequent gay storylines and characters -- and as someone who grew up literally counting the minutes until their shows would air, I think I can safely say that they made quite an impact on gay visibility.

Aside from the kids, Thompson turned in memorable performances on television (The Larry Sanders Show, Providence, the Tales of the City series), in movies (Another Gay Movie, Millennium, Mickey Blue Eyes) and on stage both as a part of the Kids and in his own tours as Kids character Buddy Cole, the cocktail-swilling, acid-tongued sissy.

To honor Thompson's work and continued presence as an out-loud, out-proud comic genius, here are a few choice clips: Buddy Cole's prison monologue, and the Kids skit, "Scott Thompson presents Scott Thompson". Happy birthday, Scott!