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A video game set in the Stonewall Riots sparks controversy and more!
Prospect of a "Runaways" movie increases hopes for gay characters in superhero comics.
What's geeky on TV in the fall, the Batwoman comic is finally set to go forward, and more!
- By now all the 2d6 jokes have been used up:
It speaks to his influence that a wide variety of sites were saddened to hear of the death of Dungeons & Dragons creator Gary Gygax this week. It's difficult to imagine what video games, comics, television or film would be like without the influence of D&D. Where would video games be now if Gygax's prototypical role playing game weren't around to inspire series like Ultima or The Bard's Tale -- or innovative games that mixed the RPG with elements of other types of games like the Grand Theft Auto series? What would our media be like if Gygax's game hadn't inspired an entire generation of nerds to become storytellers? It's hard to imagine what the pop culture landscape would be like today if not for the influence of D&D, a game that's colored the experiences of people who've never been in the same room as a Dungeon Master's Guide.
- The postman's a person in you Simberhood, in your Simberhood:
This week, EA Games put up a teaser site for The Sims 3 and some details about the game have already begun leaking out. How do you top a sequel that added genetics and realistic life spans to Will Wright's dollhouse game? This time Sims will live in a fully seamless neighborhood. Even more interestingly, the need meters have been thrown out, breaking the hunger/bladder/sleep cycle of the game.
- Oh, I'll be watching:
The upcoming Watchmen movie is probably the most scrutinized comic book movie projects, considering how the original comic is so challenging and respected. We got a visual idea of what to expect when pictures of the cast in costume came out this week. Check out a side-by-side comparison with the comic book versions. The Comedian is looking spot-on and I can easily see Jeffrey Dean Morgan in the role, but I wonder if Night Owl looks right in a different side-by-side:
I'm can't tell if they dropped Night Owl's paunchiness or if that picture comes from a deceptive angle. (Not that photographing a dark costume against a dark background is helpful.) Admittedly, taking Patrick Wilson and giving him a costume with a paunch is rather like buying fillet mignon and making hamburgers but that paunch does go far in defining the character. My optimism is holding up, so far.
Submitted by on Fri, 2008-03-07 15:58.
- 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. 
Submitted by on Fri, 2008-02-15 15:26.
- Gotta kiss them all... and kiss them multiple times, by my count:
When it debuted in 2006, the ability to kiss boys in Bully was an optional feature that had to be discovered by players exploring every possibility in the game. However, now that the game is coming out for the X-Box, getting a kiss from one of the boys of Bullsworth Academy is a step towards earning X-Box gamerscore points (which offers bragging rights to other X-Box Live users). How's that for progress, games rewarding you for same-sex snogging. (There's also an achievement for kissing female classmates, that offers the same amount of points.)
- Small screen Paradise:
Over at our sister site, thelinster shares the exciting news that a Strangers in Paradise TV series is in the works, with some fantasy casting for Francine and Katchoo. (My vote for Katchoo would be Katee Sackhoff, since the first time I saw her on Battlestar Galactica, I thought of the lesbian hitwoman/artist.) That got me thinking about casting the series' hot guys. I'm at a loss at actors the right ethnicity and age to play David Qin, except maybe Ivan Shaw, recently seen on The Book of Daniel. What do you think?
I really like the thought of the GLAAD Media Award winner hitting the small screen and it'll be interesting how the series' gay themes would change in the adaptation -- I thought SiP creator Terry Moore showed a growing understanding of queer issues as the series went on and I'd love to see how he'd tell the story from the beginning now that his understanding of gay issues are more complex.
- A Rock Band party out of bounds:
I'm incredibly bad at Guitar Hero so my interest in the multiplayer Rock Band hasn't been very high. However, hearing that the next set downloadable songs includes The B-52s raises my interest. Any chance a DDR player would find the drums easier than a string instrument?
- We're getting close to the point where the phrase "Everybody loves Tim Gunn" isn't hyperbole:
This seems to be the week for my nerd crushes to reveal an appreciation for Tim Gunn. A few days after Tim appeared on The Daily Show, we got to see Grant Imahara do an imitation of Tim on Mythbusters' second James Bond special. Unfortunately, I haven't found a clip of it online, so I'll just have to share a screencap:
- Tales of what should be an age left behind:
One of the biggest challenges of sharing a love of comics with someone who doesn't already enjoy that hobby comes when you encounter the comic shops that live up to those Android's Dungeon stereotypes. (I've certainly made my share of apologies for saying "Hey, can we make a quick stop to check out that comic shop?" to friends.) Sadly, this story of visiting Comics Ink in Culver City brings back those bad memories:"Amazing Spider-Man" #548... was not bad, despite what the retail troll behind the counter was telling customers about it. "You got cancer by touching it," he told one man buying a copy. "You've read it, but now you've got eye cancer. It's like visual AIDS." Sigh. "Visual AIDS." Who thought I could be nostalgic for "Worst. Comic. Ever."
- YALSA finds a Hero for young adult readers:
We've mentioned a few times how YALSA, the Young Adult Library Services Association, has been inclusive of gay-themed books, something that can really be a help when you're young and struggling to accept yourself. Here's another example that's been brought to my attention, among their 2008 list of Best Books for Young Adults, is Perry Moore's gay superhero tale Hero.
- Link of the week:
I heard that popular webcomic Shortpacked had a gay character, but when I checked it out it was in the middle of a storyline that left me a bit confused if the character really was gay or if it were just a way to turn down his co-worker, Robin. However, Pink Kryptonite alerted me to the current storyline, which has Robin scheming to set Ethan up with a regular customer, Thad:
I was up late last night getting caught up on Shortpacked and, Ethan is a fun character to follow. I'm hoping he and Thad get together, they'd be a fun 'opposites attract' couple.
Submitted by on Fri, 2008-02-08 15:54.
- How could I not get excited about a show with"Super Big Fun" in the title:
I'm a huge fan of G4's Ninja Warrior, an obstacle course show which has a campy silliness, announcers with a flair for melodrama, outrageous costumes and plenty of shirtless guys. (Extra points to G4 for avoiding the subtle racism that comes up sometimes when these odd Japanese shows get adapted for American networks... yes, MXC, I'm looking at you.) So I'm pretty thrilled to hear that the network is giving us more Ninja Warrior-like shows with an upcoming programming block called "Duty Free TV", which will feature unusual shows from around the globe (though the first two new shows are Japanese).
- Are you up to the challenge of Mount Midori?
And speaking of Ninja Warrior, G4 is holding its second American Ninja Challenge, seeking viewers who deserve to go to Japan and represent the United States in the next Ninja Warrior competition. I'd love to see a gay man win the challenge, so if you know someone strong enough to defeat the Warped Wall or the Salmon Ladder, why not get them to send a video? It'd be great to have someone to cheer from here. (Also, I really want to know if Toshihiro Takeda is just as cute in real life as he is on the TV.)
 Okay not the best picture, but a total cutie even in a bad picture.
The first American Ninja winner, Colin B. is pretty easy on the eyes, too: 
- The same old song:
Sigh. As usual, we've got people complaining in the media about sex and violence in video games who seem to be repeating what other people are saying instead of judging the game independently. First off, the release of Bully on other platforms in the UK is bringing up all the same complaints we heard before Bully ever hit store shelves. That seems pretty silly now since most of those concerns didn't show up in the actual game. I guess we should be glad no one's complaining about the boy-kissing that also goes on in Bully.
Meanwhile, the lesbian-inclusive Mass Effect has become a target for conservative pundits. It started when one conservative news site claimed claimed the game had "explicitly graphic" love scenes, with another columnist saying the game "can be customized to sodomize whatever, whoever, however the game player wishes". Bastion of journalistic credibility, Fox News picked up the story, prompting (Mass Effect publisher) EA Games to demand a correction. Unsurprisingly, Fox News' first response was a disingenuos one. It'll be interesting to see how that develops...
Submitted by on Fri, 2008-01-25 15:22.
- I'm calling it a dress-me-up Logan:
I've been a fan of out artist J Bone from the moment I first saw a Doom Patrol sketch he did during his Amateur Press Alliance* days (wow, that was almost a decade ago) and I'm loving the Wolverine paper doll he posted on his blog. He's promising more to come, including templates ready to be customized in your friendly neighborhood image editor.
* Amateur Press Alliances, they were like blogs, except that you had to print out and mail a copy to each of your readers.
- Moore chat, more fun:
Pride High creator Tommy Roddy had a chat with Hero author Perry Moore for Prism Comics. Roddy and Moore discuss Freedom Ring, the "Who cares about the death of a gay superhero?" list, the goals of Hero, the reaction of Moore's family along with the differences in how comics publishers and young adult lit publishers look at gay characters. I didn't realize Moore had a role in getting Hulkling and Wiccan written as a gay couple... or that that Moore was tuckerized into an issue of Young Avengers.
- From 'the news from unexpected sources' dept:
I never would have expected to get this news from a toy manufacturer (who, apparently, also makes toys inspired by The Catherine Tate Show, how unusual), but it sounds like we stateside Doctor Who fans can expect to see the fourth season hit the Sci-Fi channel in April. It's a shorter wait time than previous seasons. I'm pretty excited about the upcoming season (and the Christmas special with Kylie Minogue) so the sooner the better.
I'm most thrilled that I might be able to follow the discussion about the series -- I've spent that last couple seasons thinking things like, "Love and Monsters, I remember hearing about this episode... was that because people liked it or hated it?"
- Hm, I wonder how "Make it work!" would sound in simlish:
EA continues the hype for the latest Sims 2 expansion, Free Time this time unveiling some details about arts and crafts in the expansion. Normally, this wouldn't be be a big deal but doesn't the sharp-dressed man in one of the screen shots look a bit familiar?
It certainly helps that he's cheering her on as she sews. You know what would make Free Time rock? If there actually were a Tim Gunn NPC in the expansion and got him to record some simlish. I can just imagine "Boobasnotz" in his voice. If there's any game where a Tim Gunn cameo would be apt, it'd be The Sims.
- A withering Iris?:
After attending YAOI-Con, I was disappointed that Iris Press wasn't there with their promised anthology magazine, BL Twist. Iris has started discussing its financial troubles. BL Twist may be canceled, but Iris is asking fans to help it get some of its unpublished titles on the market. I thought the Bay Area-based publisher had an interesting perspective that encompassed both straight female and gay male readers, so I'm interested in seeing how this one develops.
- More Cylons, more
fun... uhm, more complicated discussions of nature vs. nurture:
Oooh, Entertainment Weekly has a teaser image for the fourth season of Battlestar Galactica that inspired plenty of speculation about what we'll see. (So expect to find a few spoilers at the link.) I'm most excited about the thought of (spoiler redacted) taking on another character since I'm such a sucker for the philosophical discussions that the varying Cylon personalities can start (it's all very The Cloning of Joanna May). Meanwhile, the rumor mill says that the current Writers' Strike has improved the chances that we'll see proposed BSG prequel series, "Caprica".
Submitted by on Fri, 2008-01-18 15:38.
- It's another list for us to obsess over:
The guys at GayGamer.net have announced their 2007 Video Game Awards. If you want to get straight to the gay in the gay geek, Nathan Drake from Uncharted: Drake's Fortune is their hottest male game character while the Chopin-themed RPG Eternal Sonata and the lesbian-inclusive Mass Effect are tied for Gayest Game of the Year. I can't disagree with the assessment of Nathan Drake, he was easily a contender for my list of sexy video game guys. To put it simply:
- It's nice to be invited, at least:
During our winter break, Marvel had a video interview with gay writer Allan Heinberg recorded during the Marvel Creative Summit. Unfortunately, Heinberg has no new Young Avengers projects for us to get excited over (he does discuss the upcoming Young Avengers Presents miniseries, which has different writers tackling the characters) but it's great to see Marvel promoting Heinberg's work.
- Where every day is 'Talk Like a Pirate Day':
The highly-anticipated pirate MMO game Pirates of the Burning Sea is wrapping up its open beta, opening up to customers who pre-ordered the game on Monday. According to GayGamer, the game has a romance aspect that includes same-sex couples, which I believe gives PotBS another unique distinction over most other MMOs.
- Hey, there was a video game for The Restaurant:
One of the ways that video game blog Kotaku wrapped up 2007 was a funny look at the missed chances to make movie-inspired video games. I have to admit, that has me thinking about some of the movies we discussed at AfterElton in the past year. Considering how much I loved the film, anything related to Hot Fuzz could catch my attention. Than again, they could probably catch my interest if they slapped a Hot Fuzz label on the ET video game.
On the other hand, if we were to look at television, since That Mitchell and Webb Look is coming to BBC America, I think Numberwang: The Home Game would be just grand:
- Link of the week:
Let me introduce you to the next thing to drain away at your productivity. Chain Factor is the latest addictive little webgame to grab my attention. Chain Factor actually manages to find a new dynamic for puzzle games: you have to put numbered tokens in rows or columns with the same number of tokens as the number on the token. A moment to learn, a lifetime to master...
Submitted by on Fri, 2008-01-04 16:32.
- How can a show can go so long with a Pet Shop Boys theme song and no gays?
This has me cautiously excited. A GayGamer.net reader spots a Craigslist post seeking gay geeks for a show that "will teach (gay geeks) how to have 'game' with other guys". The ad mentions Beauty and the Geek after promising a prize that just happens to be the same as what BatG offers. Hmmmm. I've wondered what a gay version of the show would be like, though considering how badly this past season's "girl geek" twist went, I don't have high expectations for a gay twist.
- We can add Street Fighter to the list of LGBT-inclusive games:
 Uhm, wow, I never heard any speculation about the gender of Final Fight baddie Poison, but now a Capcom producer has outed the pink-tressed street thug as transgender. Reading the character's entry on Wikipedia the character was first declared transgender because some people at Capcom were concerned that having a female foe in the game would mean depicting violence against women ... okay, so they decided hitting a transgender wasn't as bad? Poison will be a character in the upcoming Street Fighter IV. I have to admit I'm feeling mixed about this, as it's great to see a transgender character in a fighting game but the rationale leaves a bit to be desired.
Additionally, I understand Poison isn't the only queer character in the Street Fighter universe, as a character from the original Street Fighter, Eagle, was visually inspired by Freddy Mercury and conceived as gay.
- It's not like I really need that vitamin D, anyway:
The ever-addictive virtual dollhouse The Sims 2 has another expansion pack coming out. This one, Free Time, adds hobbies to the game, including athletics, arts and crafts, sewing and car restoration. Free Time comes out in February, just in time to keep me from getting some sun as the weather starts to warm up.  One of the screenshots shows ballet classes. I can't wait to create my own Billy Elliot.
- Gratuitous nudity for everyone in the audience!
In case Warren Ellis's gay fans need more reason to appreciate his work after creating (and sensitively writing) Apollo and Midnighter, here's a little more. As writer on an animated Castlevania film, he promises some nudity for the franchise's bishounen hero, Alucard. Ellis explains, "Girls and gay men need fan service too." While the animated nudity doesn't really mean much to me (though all the fan art one finds via Google says a whole lot of Castlevania fans would disagree), I do appreciate the sentiment about equal-opportunity fanservice.
- "I think he's awesomely gay":
And while on the topic of comic creators, this is one of the many reasons I adore Gail Simone (who I've been mentioning a lot lately, as she just keeps being newsworthy). Recently, she's been making the case for why Spider-Man "represents repressed homosexuality". Hilarity ensues.
- Eternity's approximate release date:
Eternity's Child, a platform game with nifty backgrounds and a gay character, finally has a release date. Sorta. The game comes out via WiiWare sometime in Q2 2008. I do love the art style in the screenshots we've seen so far:
Submitted by on Fri, 2007-12-21 15:01.
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