Giving Thanks: Q Allan Brocka

Originally posted on www.biggaypictureshow.com

In the same way that gay characters have gained prominence in an abundance of television shows they have also gained exposure in animated television comedies. This is why the person we’re giving thanks to this week is Q Allan Brocka.

There have been a selection of gay and lesbian themed shows around the world in recent times and gay characters have gained prominence in a wide variety of television series – just look at British soaps. But one genre that has increased over the last 10 years is the animated comedy show. Initially we had The Simpsons and then South Park, and then along came Seth MacFarlane with a whole host of animated shows in the shape of Family Guy, American Dad and The Cleveland Show. But there has only been one gay-centric animated comedy, and that was thanks to Brocka.

Originally born in Guam, Brocka developed a love of film at a young age before moving to America. While growing up in States he gained a Masters in film from the California Institute of Arts.

After this he directed a queer public access television show for a number of years, and then in 1999 his animated short Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple In The World made its debut, when he submitted it to Spike and Mike’s Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation. It went on to win several awards at a number of different film festivals.

Nearly ten years later in 2007, an animated series based on the short debuted on the Logo cable network in the US and ran for two seasons. The show itself was original as it focused on a group of gay characters in an animated world. Gay characters had been used in animation before, but it was mainly for extra comic effect. This was the first time an animated comedy show centred on gay characters.

Brocka has also contributed to a number of LGBT live-action films during his career, such as the romantic comedy Eating Out and the drama Boy Culture, both of which he wrote and directed. Those films did extremely well on the festival circuits and won a number of awards. Eating Out spawned a number of sequels, including Eating Out: Drama Camp and Eating Out: The Open Weekend, which Brocka co-wrote and directed in 2011.

As well as his work for the screen, Brocka contributes a column to the gay magazine, The Advocate. It’s easy to see that over his career Brocka has dedicated himself and much of his work to proving that sexuality is an important subject that should be depicted more on both film and television, and that gay people deserve entertainment specifically made for them.

It’s a shame that his animated gay-themed comedy didn’t run longer, but then again Family Guy got cancelled before it came back, so perhaps there’s still hope.

We Remember – Rick and Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in the World

Originally posted on www.differentscene.co.uk

This week we are remembering the hilarious lego-esque capers of Rick and Steve the happiest gay couple in the world, as they deal with the issues of everyday life in the fictional gay ghetto of West Lahunga Beach.

The programme is in the vein of other American adult orientated cartoons such as Family Guy and South Park with its politically incorrect humour and shockingly hilarious scenes that would only be possible in a show like this.

The show focuses on the couple Rick and Steve who as the title suggests are the happiest gay couple in the world, however the title is laced with irony, as they deal with typical spats that all couples experience and the issue of Steve actively seeking a threesome with his boyfriend Rick, that ends with some hilarious circumstances.

The show typically focuses on three couples, the first being Rick and Steve and the other two being the lesbian couple Dana (the man hating butch lesbian stereotype) and Kirsten (a typical lipstick lesbian), who deal with the issues of getting pregnant with Rick’s sperm and having a baby. Just be aware having a baby isn’t as straight forward when a lego lesbian gets pregnant.

The last couple are the HIV positive and paraplegic Chuck and the drug taking scene queen Evan, who struggle with their relationship due to the 31-year age gap between them. I told you it wasn’t very politically correct.

As a whole the programme is hilarious, shocking, laugh out loud, at times a little disgusting and cringe worthy in parts when you realise what’s about to happen. But as it is a cartoon you can sit back and relax with the satisfaction that this wouldn’t happen in real life … well at least you hope it wouldn’t.

The show ran from 2007-2009 and there are currently no plans for a third series, which is a shame as a gay equivalent to the Seth MacFarlane franchise would have been nice. But then again Family Guy was cancelled and brought back so there is hope.