"Dead End: Paranormal Park," "Poison Ivy" win 2023 GLAAD Media Awards
The 2023 GLAAD Media Awards were awarded both in late March and last month. The awards are meant to honor depictions of LGBTQ people and issues in mainstream media. This extends to fields such as comics and animation.
Below are the 2023 GLAAD Media Awards animation and comics related winners. A full list of nominees and winners is available on Wikipedia.
Outstanding Children’s Programming
“Adoptasaurus Rex,” Dino Ranch (Disney Junior / CBC)
Outstanding Kids and Family Programming—Live Action
Heartstopper (Netflix)
Outstanding Kids and Family Programming—Animated
Dead End: Paranormal Park (Netflix)
Outstanding Video Game
Apex Legends (Respawn/Electronic Arts)
Outstanding Comic Book
Poison Ivy by G. Willow Wilson, Marcio Takara, Atagun Ilhan, Brian Level, Stefano Gaudiano, Jay Leisten, Arif Prianto, Ivan Plascencia and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou (DC Comics)
Outstanding Graphic Novel/Anthology
Young Men in Love (A Wave Blue World)
Observations
Netflix put in a strong showing between “Heartstoppers” and “Dead End: Paranormal Park,” both based on graphic novels. That’s despite that they’ve cancelled “Dead End” (and with a few dangling plot threads). That said, at least Netflix hasn’t purged it from its service like some of the other streaming service-made shows and films nominated. One example is Disney+’s live-action film “Better Nate Than Ever,” which “Heartstopper” beat. Since “Nate” hasn’t been released to DVD/Blu-ray and isn't available to buy digitally, it’s instantly become “lost media,” but such criticism of removed streaming service material is for another article.
“Dino Ranch” is a preschooler show produced by Canada’s CBC network, and airs on Disney Junior (and Disney+) in the US. (If you’re wondering why there’s no Disney branding in the logo/title.) It’s about a world where humans and dinosaurs coexist, and set on a Western ranch that raises dinosaurs. The episode in question is about two male Tyrannosaurus Rexes that want to raise their own egg.
“Young Men in Love” is just as the title says: an anthology graphic novel about (presumably young) men in love with each other.
Outside of animation/comics, the winner for “Outstanding Film—Wide Release” is “Bros,” which flopped at the box office but has fairly strong critical reviews. It beat out fellow nominees (and flops) “Lightyear” and “Strange World.” I haven’t seen it, though have seen the co-winner of the “Outstanding Film—Streaming or TV” category, Hulu’s “Fire Island,” about a group of friends on vacation on Fire Island. It’s loosely based on Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice,” a book I admit I haven’t read.
Conclusion
Have you seen or read any of this year’s GLAAD Media Award nominees or winners? Or played the aforementioned “Apex Legends” video game? Let everyone know in the comments.
Image from "Dead End: Paranormal Park." (Netflix)