The Clackamas print., May 30, 2018, Page 6, Image 6

A R T S AND C U L T U R E
7
LGBTVandmore
Always Hum an is s c i-fi web comic love story set in the near future^
' ML
;
BY W ILLIA M FARRIS
ALW AŸ5
HUMAN
AD & DÉSÌ.GN EDITOR
F ro m g a m e s an d c o m ic s to T V sh ow s e very on e e n jo y s som e
k in d o f m ed ia exp e rien ce an d th e sto ries th e y t e l l.F o r m an y
its hard to fin d m ed ia to relate to w h e n the peop le on screen
are n o th in g like y o u .
There are m an y un derrepresented groups ô f people w ho d o n ’ t
ge t a lo t o f a rt or m ed ia m ade fo r th e m , or e ve n characters th a t
represent th e m . This can be a problem w h en so m uch o f popular
culture o n ly fo cuses o n one group, anyone w ho is n ’t p art o f th at
group can fe e l ostracized .
N o t t o m e n t io n ho w hard it is fo r us as a so ciety to accep t
o th e rs an d o u rse lv es w h e n w e h ave n o p o sitiv e e x a m p le s to
lo o k to . M aso n H o p k in s, presiden t o f the G a y S traigh t A llia n c e ,
said , “ Y o u c a n ’ t ju s t ign ore it and act like it ’ s n o t o ut th e r e ,” in
co n cern s to th e la c k o f rep resen tatio n he saw in m ed ia.
F ello w G S A m em b er Saw yer W atts ad d ed , “ I f yo u k n o w its
e x ists th e n you d o n ’ t fe e l b ro k e n .” .
In th is w e ’ ll explore three d ifferen t e xam p les o f art w ith great
rep resen tatio n , fo c u s in g tod ay o n LG BTQ p eople and issu es.
w here genetic augm en tation , or m ods, have allowed people to
change their bodies in a n y conceivable way. It focuses on S u n ati,
a V .R . designer who m eets and falls in love w ith a w om en named
A usten w ho ca n ’t use m ods due to a genetic disorder.
This unique settin g is used to explore questions o f identity
and self through its w onderfully w ritten characters, and show á
believable love between two women as it grows into a m eaningful
relationship.
The great characters are also com p lim en ted b y a b eautifu l
w atercolor aesth etic th at m akes fu ll use o f, m edium o f b ein g
an online com ic by havin g each chapter be one lon g piece o f art
that descends down the page. Each chapter is also accom panied
by a m usic track th a t’ s m ade specifically for the cóm ic adding
another layer to the reading experience.
Besides b ein g a w onderful rep resen tation o f lesbian s and gay relatio n ship s the com ic also
features m any other queer and open characters. The story, introduces the reader to people w ho are
gender qu eer,asexu al, m ale hom osexual, and polyam orous relationships; all o f w hich are show n
in a norm alized and respectful way.
Overall the entire com ic is incredibly h igh quality even if if is a little short, and ean be enjoyed
\ b y anyone o f a ny o rientation who w ants a lovely and interestin g experience,
all photos provided by Flickr.com
Perhaps themost well known entryon this list, com m itted queer relationships and some
Steven Universe still deserves a mention for are simply open about being gay, but this is
itsopenapproach to representation. Openess, expressed in a more normalized way.
that’s m uch m ore im pressive w hen you
W hen characters aré shown to have queer
realize this show is made with a m uch wider feelings or be in gay relationships it’s not
age demographic than most LGBTQ and body presented in a way that draws attention to it,
positive media.
or makes a big deal of it. It’s approached in a
' First released in 2013 by Cartoon Networks matter of factway as part of the characters that’s
first female show runner Rebecca Sugar, the normal and doesn’t define them.
show follows Steven, the youngest member
O n the other side o f that it means these
in a family of mysterious creatures known as themes are less overt than in other media, b ut,
the crystal gems, as they strive to protect earth that can be more of a positive as it normalizes
from the many threats both on the planet and these ideáis and doesn’t treatthem as different.
beyond the stars.
Theshowapproaches the ideas of identity and
The show is notable for being one of the first "body image ina similarway of depicting diverse
(and so far only) shows for younger audiences characters thataren’tdefinedbytheirphysique.
with a mostly female cast and multiple openly
Honestly there are m any other things that
gay characters. Some of the main cast are in can be talked about this show, but this covers
m ost o f the show’s style and approach to
writing. It’s a show that gets a lot of praise for
it’s interesting plot and storytelling, but it can
be slow in its delivery and take a long time to
develop arcs and plot thread?. If what was said
here resonates with you, you’re most likely
the kind o f person who would enjoy Steven
Universe.
0 Do you, like m e, ever wish it was Halloween all the time? If so, betw een b ein g flawed yet lovable. M ae’s awkward and
1 you’ll probably fall in love with the atmospheric experience often grim humor mixed with her wittier observations and
I that is Night in The Woods, a game that can best be described interactions help to push the experience on through all
| as a kids cartoon for children 18-25.
of the story beats. The rest o f the cast each have such rich
1 Night in The W oods is a single player story-driven game personalities that they end up feeling like real people that
I released in 2017 by Infinite Fall and Secret Lab studios that you want to see succeed.
1 centers on 20-year-oldMaeBorowskiwho comes home from Ultimateiythat’s the game’s greatest strength and its goal, to
I college to find a very different town than the one she left, m akeitfeelandrepresenttherealw orldasm uchaspossible,
I The w hole gam e is done in a 2 -D .art style w ith all the W ith a little bit of platforming sprinkled in for good measure.
| characters being story book-like cartoonish animals. Under That said, this game is dialogue heavy and besides a few mini
| the gam e’s adorable skin lies a deep andehthrallingdive into mechanicbreaksthtownin,there’snotm uchelsetothegam e. for so m an y historically underepresented people; from
i
m ental health issues, depression, living as a queer individual It’ s not really a bad . th in g if you enjoy m ore laid back representing m ental illness and depression in an honest
| in society and the trials of trying to find a place in the world, experiences instead o f more traditional gam es. However, and respectful lights to realistic gay people and relationships.
|
A ll o f these m ay seem like bum m er topics, but Night in thatlackof mechanic richness can be a steep curve to get over .The game even shows povertyjn America and ajlthe different1
| The Woods deals with them artfully through it’s absolutely if you’re not already use to it. I hope you like games that are opinions and^ides, good andbad in the rust belt. All in a game
I
amazing, and hilarious writing. Not to mention the characters also books, because this one has so much reading involved, with an ending that wilHeave you speechless.
| aresow ittyandenjoyabletointeractw ith,youcan’thelp bu t This lack o f corriplexity in the mechanics end up m aking So,ifyouw antaneerie,thoughtprovokingexperiencethat
| fall in love with them .
the game m uch more open for anyone to play, and I can’t will make you laugh and cry (sometimes i t the same time)
4 ^ The m ain character especially strikes the perfect balance recommendyou do that enough. This game has representation then look no further then Night in The Woods.
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