bradamantium:

I just wish that DC wouldn’t just shift an existing character into being gay. It’d be much better, I think, to see a well-developed, original character who’s queer from beginning to end instead of just standing an existing character on the stage and flashing a big neon HE’S GAY NOW! sign over his head.

I realise I’m alienating everyone with my views on this at the moment, but hey …

If it’s an EITHER OR situation, I’d much rather see a gay character in a comic people are actually reading, rather than a new character in the kind of comic which will only be read by Tumblr (at least until Joss Whedon says he likes it).  Obviously, I’d prefer both approachs, and I’d like some non-strict!hetero characters everywhere, but it’s very easy to ignore Captain New Character and his lovely boyfriend if they’re off in isolation.

This announcement has led to groups campaigning to ask DC not to make any of their characters gay.  Which really goes to demonstrate that these groups believe that DC currently have no gay characters.  They need a high-profile gay character.

High-profile characters can’t really be created deliberately.  Even after all these years, the most popular superheroes were created in the late 30s to early 60s.  That’s a shame, because there are some great modern characters, but it takes a lot of work to boost new characters.

(Unimportant side-note: I would love to live in a world where, say, Echo was promoted enormously.  Give her cameos in every book going, give her a permanent role on a major Avengers team, give her her own solo book, produce an animated TV show based on her, produce a film.  Because that would work.  They’d have a valuable and wonderful new character going forward.  But that route wouldn’t make as much money as continuing to make new films, shows and comics based on existing popular characters - Wolverine, Spider-Man, Batman, Superman.)

In the meantime, if we want a high-profile gay character, it has to be a case of making a high-profile character gay, rather than trying to make a gay character high-profile.

Because there’s a difference between diversity and marketing ploys.

There is.  But isn’t it wonderful that making a character gay is now considered marketing gold?

bradamantium:

Watching all of these videos elicited a steady stream of giggles and a few hefty guffaws from me. Seems that you have an absolutely hilarious pack of fellow comedians.

Excellent!  I’m so glad you liked them.

They’re tricky, those clips, because (a) I’ve seen most of the material a lot, so I’m jaded, and (b) I know that all of them, at their best, are miles better than those clips make them appear.  But, there we go, that’s the nature of the beast.  The gigs that happen to get filmed are rarely the best ones.

I’ll be getting hold of a video of myself soon, so hopefully that’ll be uploaded shortly.

Okay, I promised to post links to some comedy things of my friends.

I’ll start by saying this is tricky, since it means I’m picking my “in crowd”.  So, as a disclaimer, this post defines “comedy friend” as someone:

• with something linkable online, such as a blog
• whom I have seen - or would potentially see - socially, away from comedy
• that I remember right now

Other comedy friends are available, always ask the vendor.

Oh, and alphabetical order to avoid ranking.

Chris Chopping

Chris gave me one of my first gigs, and was ridiculously kind about it.  He’s been going longer than most of our gang, and it shows, because he’s brilliant.  One of those comedians I’ll go out of my way to see even though I’ve seen him a lot.  And I’m not just saying that because he lets me stay at his when I’m gigging in Cardiff.  Absolutely one of the nicest people I’ve ever met in any capacity.  Not even exaggerating.

Chris’s Twitter

Chris doing a 10-minute set on YouTube [with apologies because it’s an odd unlaughy crowd, but I’m sure you’ll be able to look past that, Tumblr]

Frankie Williams

Frankie’s gone off to That London now, so I don’t see as much of her, and that’s a shame, because she’s great.  We’ve still got a vague plan to put on a night together in Edinburgh (along with Ignacio Lopez, below).  Frankie’s a great performer, and it’s been very satisfying seeing her writing improve rather quickly.

Frankie’s Twitter

3 videos of Frankie performing in various South Wales gigs [my wife’s laugh features heavily in the first]

Geraint Evans

Geraint was one of the first friends I made in comedy.  I saw him on a bill and asked his advice a fortnight before my first gig, and he’s still my main source of advice now.  He’s been quite successful very quickly.  He used to run a night in Swansea which I took over when he moved to Cardiff.  He and Chris Chopping perform an occasional double-act.

Geraint’s Twitter

Geraint’s blog

Geraint performing a set [snippet only, from 6:00 to 9:20]

Ignacio Lopez

Igncio is my closest friend in comedy, speaking purely geographically and in NO OTHER SENSE.  I joke!  Ignacio is super-excellent.  He’s lovely and positive, which is nice, since most open mic comedians are either jaded cynics or simply aren’t good comedians.  And Ignacio’s good too.  He appeared on an ITV comedy competition last year, which really made him look a lot worse than he was.  As a consequence, he’s having a hard time getting the gigs he deserves now, and that’s shameful.  He’s helped me out a lot along the way, and we’re preparing to put on a semi-professional night together in Swansea.

Ignacio’s Twitter

Ignacio doing a set - highlights

Ignacio telling an anecdote [this clip features Simon Emanuel, below, and was filmed at the Edinburgh preview Ignacio, Frankie and I put on]

Phil Cooper

Lovely Phil is lovely.  He’s been going years.  When new comedians pop up, it can take a while for those who’ve been going longer to accept them, but Phil has never been less than totally lovely and friendly and generous to me.  He’s also phenomenal, although unfortunately, the most recent YouTube clip I could find is from a competition three years ago.  Rest assured, though, that he’s ridiculously brilliant, and that this clip doesn’t do him justice.  Phil will be taking part in S4C’s comedy show with me in September, all things being equal, and his involvement is one of the main reasons I’m looking forward to it.  (That and money.)

Phil’s competition clip [snippet]

Sarah Bridgeman

I love Sarah’s approach to comedy immensely.  She’s my top choice for MC when I can’t make it to my Swansea night, and, um, in general.  She does a magnificent job turning an uncaring audience around, and there’s really no-one like her in comedy.  I’m always thrilled when she writes new material, which always goes in crazy directions.  She gave me my first ever gig, and has been very quick to give me brilliantly valuable advice from that point on.  Again, I could only find a three-year-old clip for Sarah, which is a massive shame, because she’s really turned out brilliant work over the last year.  Then again, it’s a comedy song I’d not heard before, so hurrah for the past.

Sarah’s Twitter

Sarah performing two songs

Simon Emanuel

Ignacio once described Simon as being so generous he’d tear off his own skin to keep someone warm.  And he would, too, ‘cause he’s mental.  No, Simon’s utterly lovely, and he’s now left South Wales to pursue his comedy career in Norway.  This is a major loss to absolutely everyone in South Wales.  So you’d better appreciate him, Norway.

Simon performing a quick set [I was at this gig, and the audience was tough]

Richard:

I’m not sure about this one.

Damian’s essentially a joke about grim’n’grittiness in comics (“Who’d really think like Frank Miller’s Batman? Only a maladjusted ten year old!”)

… and suddenly I need to reread me some Batman, because I never got that joke.  Even though it’s ridiculously obvious when spelt out.  I never read Frank Miller’s Batman, and thinking about it, I think I only read the first three trades of Morrison’s Batman, so I never quite got Damian.  But this is amazing.

Yes, then, it’d be terribly boring to make him gay, because (a) he’s got something incredibly interesting going on which would be overshadowed if he got the much-publicised gay reveal story, and (b) because he’s already got the father’s acceptance issue going on, and it’d be a bit rubbish to see that become a “… because he’s gay”.

In my defence, I was going by the Scott Snyder new 52 stuff in terms of What Damian’s Like at the moment.

And I’m rather tired of the idea that the DARK! corner of superheroics is where queerness belongs. There’s queers in the Authority and Secret Six?That’s nice, Comics. But you’ll get more cookies from me for there being one in Power Pack. 

I still think having a major character in one of the best-selling books DC is different to the usual off-in-dark-and-gritty-land stuff, but yes, point taken.

(Where do Wiccan and Hulkling feature on the Secret-Six-to-Power-Pack spectrum?)

teatime-brutality:

Here’s a spooky thing though. While we were chatting away about mockumentaries, My Lady Friend was at choir feeling so exasperated with those around her that she found herself wishing she was in one so she could she could Freeman at the cameras. This lead to her sticking The Office on as soon as she came home… while I was upstairs talking to you about That Very Show.

That’s uncanny.  Clearly, there’s something mockumentarish in the air.  Parks and Rec time soon, perhaps.

Fair play, Akinator.  You get there in the end.

Silly Akinator.  Keep guessing.

Guess again, Akinator.

… has just asked me, “does your character still see his children?”  That is a LEADING QUESTION, Akinator.  He doesn’t have children.  WHAT DO I ANSWER?