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| MARCH 07, 2008 |
Buffy's Lesbian Encounter: Groundbreaking or Marketing Ploy?
Having gay characters in comic books is not a new concept, according to comic guru Matthew
McAllister, but central characters who stray from heterosexuality may be.
"We've definitely seen gay characters in mainstream comics over the past 10 to 15 years,"
said McAllister, who co-edited the book "Film and Comics." "But usually those tend to be
secondary characters, not leads."
Dark Horse Comics, the publisher of Buffy's comic strip, estimates that since the comic's
inception in March 2007, more than 1 million issues have been sold, approximately 120,000
each month.
While according to the publisher the audience includes "lovers of television and comics of all
ages," McAllister says that Dark Horse is known for aiming its material more toward older
teens and readers in their mid-20s.
Because the comic was the spawn of a popular movie and television series, McAllister bears
on the side of Whedon, who asserts that Buffy's gay romp was more about character
development than revenue.
"It's not like Buffy hasn't explored these issues before, so in a way it goes with the basic
sensibility of the characters and the universe of Buffy," McAllister said. "'Buffy' is a metaphor
for teenage life, and one of the issues teenagers face is the questioning of sexuality. Now
[Dark Horse] is trying to explore it a little bit more."
A representative from The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation familiar with the comic
welcomed the plot twist, lauding it as yet another example of the "Buffy" enterprise including
"multidimensional lesbian characters in the Buffy universe."
"'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' has always been an inclusive series, both on screen and now on
the page," said Damon Romine, the entertainment media director for GLAAD, in a statement
e-mailed to ABCNEWS.com. "We look forward to seeing how Buffy's emotional and physical
connection with Satsu plays out, since the creators always take us in surprising and
compelling directions."
"It made logical, emotional sense and it was an opportunity for drama and character
exploration," said Whedon, who told ABCNEWS.com that while Buffy has not "all of a sudden
turned gay" she is not "completely cut off from that particular enjoyment."
But for Stephen Krensky, author of "Comic Book Century: The History of American Comic
Books," it's not so clear that Buffy's gay romp was a true advancement of her character and
not just a way to freshen up the comic and keep it from its demise.
"Comic books are competing now with video games, DVDs and 'Guitar Hero' for the attention
of the audience that, let's face it, they had [during the 1960s]," said Krensky. "Now it's, 'how do
we get attention' and 'how do we find a niche?'" [read more]
Having gay characters in comic books is not a new concept, according to comic guru Matthew
McAllister, but central characters who stray from heterosexuality may be.
"We've definitely seen gay characters in mainstream comics over the past 10 to 15 years,"
said McAllister, who co-edited the book "Film and Comics." "But usually those tend to be
secondary characters, not leads."
Dark Horse Comics, the publisher of Buffy's comic strip, estimates that since the comic's
inception in March 2007, more than 1 million issues have been sold, approximately 120,000
each month.
While according to the publisher the audience includes "lovers of television and comics of all
ages," McAllister says that Dark Horse is known for aiming its material more toward older
teens and readers in their mid-20s.
Because the comic was the spawn of a popular movie and television series, McAllister bears
on the side of Whedon, who asserts that Buffy's gay romp was more about character
development than revenue.
"It's not like Buffy hasn't explored these issues before, so in a way it goes with the basic
sensibility of the characters and the universe of Buffy," McAllister said. "'Buffy' is a metaphor
for teenage life, and one of the issues teenagers face is the questioning of sexuality. Now
[Dark Horse] is trying to explore it a little bit more."
A representative from The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation familiar with the comic
welcomed the plot twist, lauding it as yet another example of the "Buffy" enterprise including
"multidimensional lesbian characters in the Buffy universe."
"'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' has always been an inclusive series, both on screen and now on
the page," said Damon Romine, the entertainment media director for GLAAD, in a statement
e-mailed to ABCNEWS.com. "We look forward to seeing how Buffy's emotional and physical
connection with Satsu plays out, since the creators always take us in surprising and
compelling directions."
"It made logical, emotional sense and it was an opportunity for drama and character
exploration," said Whedon, who told ABCNEWS.com that while Buffy has not "all of a sudden
turned gay" she is not "completely cut off from that particular enjoyment."
But for Stephen Krensky, author of "Comic Book Century: The History of American Comic
Books," it's not so clear that Buffy's gay romp was a true advancement of her character and
not just a way to freshen up the comic and keep it from its demise.
"Comic books are competing now with video games, DVDs and 'Guitar Hero' for the attention
of the audience that, let's face it, they had [during the 1960s]," said Krensky. "Now it's, 'how do
we get attention' and 'how do we find a niche?'" [read more]