GLAAD Honors Marvel

  Today Marvel recognized the creative teams of Avengers: The Children’s Crusade and X-Factor for their GLAAD Media Awards. Both are nominated in Best Comic Book category.

  “We try very hard at Marvel to be inclusive of people of all backgrounds, all races, all religions and all orientations,” said Tom Brevoort, Marvel’s Senior Vice-President of Publishing and editor of Avengers: The Children’s Crusade. “And to make sure that a reader of any stripe can find a character that reflects their experiences within our stories.”

“Usually when you say, ‘It’s an honor just to be nominated,’ that’s code for prepping yourself for disappointment,” says X-Factor writer Peter David. “But in this instance, it genuinely is an honor considering that X-Factor was nominated and won last year. Not a convention goes by where a fan or fans comes up to me to tell me how much Rictor and Shatterstar’s relationship means to them, and that always fills me with a sense of pride; and also a feeling of—to borrow a page from Spidey—great responsibility. I’m just glad that Marvel has consistently allowed me the latitude to explore these kinds of topics.”

X-Factor's Shatterstar and Rictor courtesy Marvel.com

  Allan Heinberg is the writer of Avengers: The Children’s Crusade featuring gay teens Wiccan and Hulkling. X-Factor made an appearance in this series.

For today’s complete press release click here. For my previous posts about all the nominated books (and who I want to win and who I think will win) click here and here.

GLAAD Outstanding Comic Book Nominees

 

Life With Archie #16 courtesy Archie Comics

 GLAAD, The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, reveals the nominees for Outstanding Comic Book for 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards:

Avengers: The Children’s Crusade, by Allan Heinberg (Marvel)
Batwoman, by J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman (DC Comics)
Secret Six, by Gail Simone (DC Comics)
Veronica Presents: Kevin Keller, by Dan Parent (Archie Comics)
X-Factor, by Peter David (Marvel Comics)

  All of these nominated books feature a gay or lesbian lead character or a gay character in the ensemble.

X-Factor's Shatterstar and Rictor courtesy Marvel.com

  X-Factor won last year. Rictor and Shatterstar are boyfriends and co-workers at X-Factor Investigations. Rictor is a Mexican mutant who lost his powers but recently was repowered in Avengers: The Children’s Crusade. Shatterstar is a mutant warrior from another dimension – and wants an open relationship. Rictor wants them to stay monogamous.

 

Batwoman #1 from DC Comics

  Batwoman is Kate Kane, lipstick lesbian socialite of Gotham City and caped crusader by night. The fan favorite crime fighter is the star of her own DC Comics New 52 series.

  Kevin Keller is the front-runner. Archie Comics showcased an openly gay character in an all-ages book. Kevin is serving openly in the military with an African-American boyfriend. The partners were featured on gay wedding ceremony cover. Archie Comics didn’t just publish the story but gave Kevin’s story a big marketing push and it made huge mainstream headlines.

   Thanks to Comics Alliance for the story.

  For my pick to win and possible nominees for 2012 scroll down or click here for part two.