Arts & Entertainment
Best of Gay D.C. 2013: People
Our favorite singers, drag performers, actors, bartenders and more
Best singer or band:
Wicked Jezabel
Runner-up: Tom Goss
Best bureaucrat:
Eric Fanning
Runner-up: Nancy Sutley
As acting secretary of the Air Force, Eric Fanning personifies the service motto ofĀ “Aim High … Fly-Fight-Win.”
He’s the highest-ranking openly gay civilian official in the U.S. military,Ā overseeingĀ procurement and operations for aĀ $140 billionĀ department at the Air Force. Fanning wins the 2013 award for Best LGBT Bureaucrat or Federal Worker and is the first-ever winner from the Washington Blade in this new category.
Fanning, 45, has had a long political career in D.C.Ā After his initial work on Capitol Hill, Fanning worked during the Clinton administration at the Pentagon and the White House.Ā Once President Obama assumed office, Fanning went to work within the Department of the Navy and continued in that role until he was nominated as Air Force under secretary.
Although the Senate confirmed Fanning for the lesser role as under secretary for the Air Force, Fanning became acting secretary when Michael Donley retired. Since that time, he was among the speakers at an LGBT Pride celebration at the Pentagon in June.
In an interview with the Washington Blade, Fanning said he left the Pentagon after “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was implemented in the 1990s and didn’t want to come back until a president was elected who would end it.
āIt was very difficult when we were getting to the end of the first two years and it wasnāt clear if we were going to be able to repeal āDonāt Ask, Donāt Tell,'” Fanning said. “I didnāt know what I was going to do if we didnāt get the repeal through because some people couldnāt work because they were openly gay or lesbian.ā (CJ)
Local heroine:
Eleanor Holmes Norton, D.C.ās long-serving congressional delegate and a longtime proponent of LGBT equality.
Runner-up: Katy Ray
Local hero:
Dave Perruzza
Runner-up: Freddie Lutz (Freddieās Beach Bar)
Dave Perruzza, perhaps best known as manager of JR.ās, also devotes much time to organizing the annual 17th Street High Heel Race. The 27th annual race is scheduled for Oct. 29. After serving in the U.S. Navy, Perruzza began working at the well-known Dupont Circle gay bar in 1996, handling coat check. He soon worked his way up to the top spot at the 17th Street, N.W., bar known for its friendly environment and popular theme nights. Readers from near and far appreciate that Perruzza strives to make everyone feel welcome and at home, whether youāre a local headed to happy hour after a long day on the Hill or a tourist looking for a friendly face.
Best drag king:
Xavier Bottoms
Runner-up: Sebastian Katz
Best Realtor:
Mark Rutstein
Runner-up: Ray Gernhart
Mark Rutstein is a repeat winner in this category. He works both as manager of Cobalt and as a Realtor for Coldwell Banker on 17th Street.
Best DJ:
DJ Wess
Runner-up: Chord Bezerra
Best drag queen:
Heidi Glum
Runner-up: BaāNaka
For Heidi Glum (aka Miles DeNiro), drag was a ticket out of a miserable job.
āI was a shampoo person at a salon,ā she says. āIt was a terrible job. I was essentially a maid. So I quit and all I do now is drag. Iāve been busting my ass to make it a career.ā
Glum (pronounced āgloomā) started drag about five years ago in New York where she says she was a long-time āclub kid.ā Back in D.C. the past two years, Glum has several monthly gigs ā a drag bingo at Mellow Mushroom, Gay Bash, WTF and Crack and āa lot of stuff in New York too.ā
At times itās been rough going. Glum was attacked by two patrons at Manny & Olgaās, a pizzeria on 14th Street in June after a Black Cat performance. Glum was beaten and called ātrannyā and āfaggotā in an incident captured on video.
She says her philosophy of great drag means infusing feeling in the work.
āYou can tell when someone is really feeling it,ā she says. āIt comes up from somewhere inside you. You either have it or you donāt, this sort of spark. You can tell some of them are just dressed up for the hell of it.ā (JD)
Best businessperson:
Ed Bailey (Town Danceboutique)
Runner-up: Karen Diehl
Best massage:
Eddie Weingart
Deep Knead Massage Therapy and Body Work
Runner-up: The Legendary Dave
For Eddie Weingart, āmaking people feel whole is the number one thing,ā in his massage work.
Having survived a serious car accident in 2001, he knows first-hand about pain management. He says his work, which incorporates both ancient and modern techniques, is tailored to ābring a wellness of body, mind and spirit.ā
Weingart is gay and is based in Silver Spring, though he has many clients in D.C. He guesses about 95 percent of his clients are LGBT. Heās been in the area three years and averages 50-60 massages per week. (JD)
Best visual artist:
Denis Largeron
Runner-up Lisa Marie Thalhammer
Digital photographer Denis Largeron has been shooting part-time professionally for about three years. By day, he works at World Bank.
He focuses on commercial work and does weddings, portraits, what he calls āboudoirā photo and various gay events.
āI think last year I shot about every gay circuit party there was on the East Coast,ā he says. āMost of the time, itās promoters who hire me to shoot their events but I also shoot for some magazines as well.ā
Largeron is gay and came to the U.S. about six years ago to be with a then-boyfriend.
āFor me, itās all about having a client and meeting their specific need,ā he says. āEvery client has a different expectation and thatās what I like about it. You have to adjust.ā (JD)
Best personal trainer:
Bethany Carter Howlett
Runner-up: Drew McNeil
Finding the motivation to maintain a healthy lifestyle can be difficult. Bethany Carter Howlett makes it easier with her fitness expertise.
Howlett is a professional fitness athlete, formerly a body builder and registered dietician. She holds multiple certifications and trains anyone from children to professional athletes. She also owns four gyms in Virginia.
āI feel being a trainer who practices what she preaches by competing, training and living the healthy lifestyle of a professional athlete allows for a strong advantage in my favor among other personal trainers in the area,ā Howlett says.
Her training programs are diverse from one-on-one sessions to group classes. Howlett can train people in person or even online. Her diet plans are specially made to suit the needs of the individual from their genetic lineage to their health history.
A Virginia native, Howlett began gymnastics at age 3. As an undergraduate at the University of Virginia, where she received her bachelorās degree in molecular biology, she was a cheerleader.
Howlett is married to Jason Rowley and they are expecting their first child. Howlett has continued training clients and working out throughout her pregnancy. She hopes to be back in the gym two weeks after she gives birth. (MC)
Best TV personality:
Bruce DePuyt WJLA, News Channel 8
Runner-up: Chuck Bell, NBC4
Ā
āNews Talk with Bruce DePuytā on News Channel 8 remains among the metropolitan areaās most influential local news programs.
D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray, D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier, Maryland state Del. Heather Mizeur (D-Montgomery County) and other politicians and officials frequently discuss the important issues of the day. LGBT-specific topics that include the implementation of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that found a portion of the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional, efforts to repeal Virginiaās gay nuptials ban and Russiaās LGBT rights record are also a regular part of the weekday talk showās line-up.
āIāve been a loyal reader of the Washington Blade for 30 years, so this is a very special honor,ā DePuyt said upon learning he had won.
DePuyt has been with News Channel 8 since 1993.
He covered Maryland politics extensively until he became the host of āNews Talkā in 2002.
āI also want to acknowledge my employer of the last 20 years, WJLA/NewsChannel 8 for always being in my corner,ā DePuyt said.
DePuyt was a reporter and anchor at WVIR in Charlottesville, Va., before he arrived at News Channel 8. He also produced an award-winning weekly talk show, ā21 This Weekā on āCable News 21ā in Montgomery County, Md.
āNews Talkā airs on News Channel 8 weekdays live at 10 a.m. (ML)
Best actor:
Logan Sutherland
Runner-up: Will Gartshore
Ā
At just 22, Logan Sutherland is at the beginning of his acting career and heās already winning awards. āThis is an incredible surprise,ā he says. āI didnāt even promote myself. Iāve been way too busy!ā
After graduating from American Universityās musical theater program in the spring, Sutherland began landing acting gigs straight away beginning with multiple roles in the Source Festival at Source Theatre in June. Shortly after, he drew praise for his showy turn in this summerās Fringe Festival favorite āOne Night in New York.ā
āIt was like Disney had made a big gay musical about a guy coming to New York looking for love,ā he says. āI played Andy, one of the bitchy people that he met in Chelsea. He was like the Regina George [from āMean Girlsā] ā a real bitch.ā
A genuine triple threat, Sutherland has been performing since he was a kid in small town Schwenksville, Pa. Currently the out actor is understudying for āLulu and the Brontosaurusā at Imagination Stage in Bethesda. Later this season he will appear in Woolly Mammothās āThe Summoning of Everyman,ā a morality play that now reads as satire.
When not acting, Sutherland works as a server at Founding Farmers three blocks from the White House.Ā Heās considering film work, which may involve a move to New York or California in the future. But for now, the Dupont Circle resident says heās learning a lot and happy to be a part of the D.C. theater scene. (PF)
Best actress:
Jessica Thorne
Runner-up: Holly Twyford
Ā
Jessica Thorne is a fresh and definitely welcomed face on the local theater scene. The self-described straight LGBT ally initially left her native Georgia for D.C. to attend Catholic Universityās musical theater program. After graduating in 2011, she immediately began performing with Synetic Theatre Company, the never boring movement-based troupe based in Crystal City.
āIām incredibly grateful to Synetic. They changed me as an artist,ā says Thorne who remains a member of the company. āAs an actor it makes you incredibly comfortable with your body and who you are in space and time. It was a great experience and very singular to the company.ā
Last season, Thorne was an ensemble member in director Ethan McSweeneyās gorgeous production of āA Midsummer Nightās Dreamā at the Shakespeare Theater Company. And more recently she shone as wholesome Janet in Studio Theatreās āRichard OāBrienās The Rocky Horror Show.ā
As a freshman in high school, Thorne was certain she wanted to pursue a career in theater. She is grateful to her mother and grandmother for supporting her choice to study theater in college. āTheyāve been there every step of the way,ā she says. āFor me, that support has been really imperative in becoming an artist. You base a lot of your success on the people who are backing you.ā She also thanks her colleagues in the D.C. theater community whom she describes as incredibly supportive and generous.
Currently studying voice in New York with singer/composer Marisa Michelson, Thorne considers D.C. home and is slated to perform here in two shows this spring (about which she cannot yet reveal details). We promise to keep readers posted. (PF)
Best Hill staffer:
Kat Skiles
Runner-up: Guy Cecil
Best straight ally:
President Barack Obama
Runner-up: Brooke Jordan
Best bartender:
Carlos Arroyo (JR.ās)
Runner-up: Liz Warner-Osborne (Cobalt)
Carlos Arroyo says the relaxed atmosphere at JR.ās makes it a great place to work.
āItās a great vibe overall,ā he says. āThe clientele is super awesome. We have amazing regulars and people just go there to have a great time. Itās not pretentious. They leave work and everything at the door. ā¦ Itās probably one of the most relaxed bars Iāve worked in.ā
Arroyo has been in D.C. about 13 years and has dabbled in theater, communications work, personal training, catering and more. He also helps his partner with a photography business and says the two ātravel quite often.ā
Arroyo previously worked at Number Nine on P Street for about a year and a half, but moved over to JR.ās. Heās quick to assert he has enjoyed working at both hotspots.
āWhen JR.ās comes calling, you canāt turn them down,ā he says. āItās one of the busiest gay bars in D.C.ā (JD)
Best Rehoboth bartender:
Jamie Romano (Purple Parrot)
Runner-up: Chris Chandler (Blue Moon)
Jamie Romano is a repeat winner, having taken this prize two years ago. He reclaims it this year in a close contest with Chris Chandler. Romano has an uncanny ability to remember his customersā favorite drink and often has one at the ready before you sit down. You can find him behind the main bar at the gay-owned Purple Parrot and at the popular outdoor bar in back, known as the Biergarten.
Most committed activist:
Josh Deese
Runner-up: Halley Cohen
Florida native Josh Deese knew he wanted to make a difference in the LGBT community after being bullied for his sexuality growing up led him to attempt suicide.Ā His experience drew him to The Trevor Projectās Youth Advisory Council (YAC).
āJust having a feeling that people donāt appreciate you and that youāre worthless takes its toll on you,ā says Deese. āIt only takes one, a friend, parent or ally to stand up and save someoneās life and let them know they arenāt alone.ā
Deese, who cites Harvey Milk as one of his heroes, has spoken with The Trevor Project about LGBT youth suicide, most recently at The National Cathedral with Judy Shepard, Matthew Shepardās mother. He also serves as the Neighboring Commuter Representative on the University of Maryland Government Association.
In the future he plans to work in real estate in the D.C. area and eventually would like to run for the U.S. House. He hopes his efforts to help the LGBT community will lead to LGBT youth feeling safer and appreciated in the future. He says he wants them to understand life is an option.
Heās a sophomore at the University of Maryland majoring in government and politics with a minor in LGBT studies. (MC)
Ā
Ā
Best gay politician:
Del. Heather Mizeur (Maryland)
Runner-up: Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.)
Del. Heather Mizeur has represented Takoma Park and Silver Spring in the Maryland General Assembly since 2006. But sheās best known now as the openly gay candidate for governor. She faces current Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown and Attorney General Doug Gansler in the contest. She would make history as the stateās first female governor and the countryās first openly LGBT elected governor if she prevails next year.
āDiversity is enormously important,ā she told the Blade. āNot simply to have a gay governor, but to have a governor who can represent the voices of people in communities that have not always had a voice in the process.ā
Best trans advocate:
Allyson Robinson
Runner-up: Ruby Corado
It was a difficult year for Allyson Robinson, who stepped down from her position as executive director of OutServe-SLDN in June. Robinson, who led OutServe-SLDN for nine months, was the only openly transgender leader of a national LGBT rights organization. A new group, Servicemembers, Partners and Allies for Respect and Tolerance for All (SPARTA) announced its formation in July, following the turmoil at OutServe-SLDN. Robinson remains a prominent voice for transgender rights and LGBT equality.
Best amateur athlete:
Martin Espinoza (Stonewall Kickball)
Runner-up: Julie Olsen
Best stylist:
Diego Orbegoso, Bang Salon
Runner-up: Dmitri Lords, Zoe Salon & Spa
Diego Obregoso says the best part of being a stylist is āthe magical boosting of peopleās energy by making them feel good.ā
With a background in makeup and cosmetology, Obregoso has been at Bang Metropole (1519 15th St., N.W.) for six years. Heās gay and estimates about 60 percent of his customers are LGBT.
A native of Lima, Peru, Obregoso has been in the U.S. 11 years. (JD)
Best clergy:
Rev. David Lett
Runner-up: Rabbi Shira Stutman
Sometimes Saturday is a very short night sleep-wise for David Lett. Heās often out until the wee hours hostessing (as Lena Lett) the drag show at Town Danceboutique. Sundays are often spent doing spiritual duties as supply clergy with the North American Old Catholic Church, an LGBT-affirming offshoot of the Roman Catholic Church where years ago, Lett went to seminary and studied in Rome.
Lett says the two roles arenāt as dissimilar as they might seem.
āTo be a drag performer, you have to be confident and you have to be able to put yourself in front of people and ā¦. take them from wherever they are to a new place. A priest does a lot of the same things, thereās just not as much liquor going around. ā¦ The basic tenets of the role are identical. Itās just the means by which they are done that is completely different.āĀ (JD)
Lifetime achievement award:
Rev. Dean Snyder (Foundry United Methodist Church)
Rev. Dean Snyder has been an LGBT ally for 40 years and he is the inaugural recipient of the Bladeās Lifetime Achievement Award.
He has fought to change his denominationās ban on same-sex marriages being performed by the churchās ministers. In 2010, the Foundry congregation voted 367-8 to allow same-sex marriages to be performed in the church.
A large portion of Foundryās congregation is LGBT, including couples that have been in committed relationships for decades. This brought Snyder to question the churchās laws.
āWe started doing services to honor gay and lesbian committed relationships, which we argued were not a violation of the rules because we werenāt actually consecrating a marriage,ā Snyder told the Blade. āBut then ā¦ when it was clear marriage was going to become legal in Washington, D.C., then we couldnāt fudge anymore. It was either marriage or it wasnāt.ā
Out & About
Film festival to highlight Polish trans womanās story
‘Kobieta Z’ screening at Landmark E Street Cinema
The Washington Polish Film Festival will screen āKobieta Zā (English translation: āWoman Ofā) on Saturday, May 11 at 8:45 p.m. at Landmark E Street Cinema, Theatre 6.
Having premiered at the Venice Film Festival, this Polish film breaks new ground. Starring Malgorzata Krzysztofik-Hajewska and Joanna Kulig, the movie is a sensitive and intelligent story of gender identity in a cruel world that cannot accept it and the personal love that ultimately does.
Tickets to the festival start at $20 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.Ā
Friday, May 10
Center Aging Friday Tea Time will be at 2 p.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults! Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more information, email [email protected].Ā
Go Gay DC will host āLGBTQ+ Social in the Cityā at 7 p.m. at Hotel Zena. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Women in their Twenties and Thirties will be at 8 p.m. on Zoom. This is a social discussion group for queer women in the Washington, D.C. area. For more details, join WiTTās closed Facebook group.
Saturday, May 11
Go Gay DC will host āLGBTQ+ Brunchā at 11 a.m. at Freddieās Beach Bar & Restaurant. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
SMYAL will host āPride Prom DMVā at 6 p.m. at a location thatās shared after attendees purchase a ticket. With a vibrant atmosphere, diverse music, and a supportive communityā Pride Prom DMV is not just a celebration; it’s a declaration of identity and resilience. Through laughter, dance, and shared experiences, attendees create lasting memories and forge bonds that extend beyond the dance floor. Tickets are free and can be accessed on Eventbrite.Ā
Sunday, May 12
Go Gay DC will host āLGBTQ+ Happy Hourā at 6 p.m. at Clare and Donās Beach Shack. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
AfroCode DC will be at 4 p.m. at Decades DC. This event will be an experience of non-stop music, dancing, and good vibes and a crossover of genres and a fusion of cultures. Tickets cost $40 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.Ā
Monday, May 13
Center Aging: Monday Coffee & Conversation will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of their choice. For more details, email [email protected].Ā
āTRANSEND: Transgender & Nonbinary Support Groupā will be at 4 p.m. at the Pride Center of Maryland. This event will be a safe space to discuss hot topics, education and incentives while enjoying food. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.Ā
Tuesday, May 14
Pride on the Patio Events will host āLGBTQ Social Mixerā at 5:30 p.m. at Showroom. Dress is casual, fancy, or comfortable. Guests are encouraged to bring their most authentic self to chat, laugh, and get a little crazy. Admission is free and more details are on Eventbrite.
Trans Support Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group is intended to provide emotionally and physically safe space for trans people and those who may be questioning their gender identity/expression to join together in community and learn from one another. For more details, email [email protected].Ā
Coming Out Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a peer-facilitated discussion group and a safe space to share experiences about coming out and discuss topics as it relates to doing so. For more details, visit the groupās Facebook page.Ā
Wednesday, May 15
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking ā allowing participants to move away from being merely āapplicantsā toward being ācandidates.ā For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.
Thursday, May 16
Virtual Yoga with Charles M. will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a free weekly class focusing on yoga, breath work, and meditation. For more details, visit the DC Center for the LGBT Communityās website.
Movies
Deliciously queer āDead Boy Detectivesā a case worth taking on
A light-hearted, smart, and complex sensibility behind the fantasy
Believe it or not, there was once a time when the Hollywood entertainment industry didnāt take comic books very seriously ā but then, neither did anyone else.
In the early days, comics were dismissed by most adults as childish fantasy; indeed, those with a penchant for clutching pearls saw them as a threat to their childrenās intellectual development and therefore to the future of America itself. Their popularity could not be denied, however, and Hollywood, ever eager to capitalize on a trend, was certainly hungry to get a piece of the action.
The problem was that the studio lackeys assigned to adapt the comics for the screen during those āgolden yearsā were never actually fans of the comics themselves. The result was a parade of kitschy ā if occasionally stylish ā low-budget serials, kiddie matinees, and āB moviesā which operated, for the most part, at the level of cartoons, and mindless ones at that. Even in the 1960s, when comics like āX-Menā had begun exploring mature themes and turning the comic book into a counterculture phenomenon, the best that Hollywood ā now deploying the then-relatively new medium of television ā was a āBatmanā series that felt even campier than the corny serials of three decades before.
Yet despite being treated as a throwaway genre with no cultural significance or intellectual value, the popularity never went away ā and with the generation that grew up with comics now old enough to be working in Hollywood themselves, a new burst of creativity began to infuse the screenās version of the genre with the kind of nuance and sophistication that fans had always known was there. Fast forward to 2024, when comics-based content dominates not just our movie screens ā nobody needs to be told about the way it has shaped (some would say crippled) the mainstream film industry for the last decade or so ā but all our other screens, as well. And while much of the material that has resulted from this obsessive fascination with comics (and comics-adjacent material like āStar Warsā and other similar fantasy franchises) often suffers from the same safe āappeal to the LCDā mentality that robbed the vintage stuff of its potential, the artistry of creators who are fans themselves has also resulted in a lot of genuinely good storytelling.
In the latter category, we offer up āDead Boy Detectivesā ā a new series derived from a supplemental thread in renowned comics creator-turned-bestselling author Neil Gaimanās groundbreaking āSandmanā, which debuted last week on Netflix ā as a counter to the increasingly popular notion that comic books have hamstrung the industryās creativity.
Based on characters and storylines that emerged during the original run of Gaimanās iconic book (published by DC Comics via its Vertigo imprint), itās a fresh, funny-yet-emotionally engaging supernatural saga in which two ghosts who died in their youth ā the titular āDead Boysā ā operate a detective agency in London, solving mysteries for other spirits who need closure before moving on to the afterlife.
The boys ā Edwin (George Rexstrew) and Charles (Jayden Revri) ā are not themselves quite ready to depart the earthly plane, however; on the contrary, they operate on the lam, making sure to keep one step ahead of Death (Kirby Howell-Baptiste, reprising her role from Netflixās acclaimed āSandmanā adaptation) so that she canāt drag them out of it before theyāre ready. Something of a mismatched pair (both died at the same English boarding school, but 60 years apart), they nevertheless have established a fondness for each other and a dynamic together that makes them an excellent team in solving the supernatural crimes they encounter in their work. Their biggest handicap is the difficulty of dealing with the living ā who, for the most part, cannot see or hear them – when it becomes necessary in an investigation. Fortunately for them (and for the story, of course), they find a solution to that issue during episode one.
Enlisted by the ghost of a Victorian child to rescue the human medium – Crystal Palace (Kassius Nelson), possessed by a former boyfriend who was actually a demon (David Iacono) ā that has been trying to help her ācross overā, the detectives find themselves with a living ally who can not only interact with them, but also with the ārealā world in which they do their work. With CrystalĀ on the team, they are soon called to an American seaport town to investigate the disappearance of a child – who, it turns out, has been abducted by a witch (Jenn Lyon) intent on draining her youthful essence in pursuit of her own immortal beauty. We donāt want to give anything away, but during the course of the case they not only incur her wrath, they set off alarm bells on the āother sideā, calling attention to the fact that two AWOL souls are still lingering in the human world.
Things get worse for them in the second episode, when Edwin attracts the interest of the local āCat Kingā (Lukas Gage, āWhite Lotus,ā āDown Lowā) and subsequently finds himself cursed to remain until he has ācounted all the catsā in town ā a daunting and maybe impossible task.
Though jumping into the second installment might feel like getting ahead of ourselves, itās important to look ahead for the sake of exploring the showās deliciously pervasive queerness, so forgive the spoiler-ish leap; because it is Edwin, who died in an era long before being openly attracted to other boys could even be discussed, let alone accepted, that serves to root the storyās tension into a real-life context that helps all the supernatural nonsense connect with relatable real-world experience and emotion. Uncomfortable more than a century after his death with the secrets of his own sexuality, he finds himself hampered by his jealousy of the obvious growing attraction between his literal BFF and the new girl psychic who has joined their team – as well as vulnerable to manipulation from both the witch who has it in for him and the Cat King whoā¦ well, letās just say that Edwin’s cat-counting curse could be easily lifted if he would only accept another way to appease the libidinous (and far from unappealing) feline monarch.
Itās best we stop there, before we reveal too much; the series ā developed by Steve Yockey and produced by (among others) original author Gaiman and out queer TV impresario Greg Berlanti ā sets up its story arc very plainly from the beginning, so savvy viewers will read the subtext long before any definitive events take place, but much of what makes it fun is watching how it all unfolds.
Suffice to say that, with engaging performances from all its players, a light-hearted, smart, and complex sensibility behind all of its fantasy elements, and a palpably queer vibe that leaves plenty of room for allies to jump on board, too, itās one of the more worthwhile (and meaningful) ācomic bookā stories to hit our screens in a long while.
Maybe more importantly, itās also entertaining, which makes it easy for us to recommend āDead Boy Detectivesā as a case youāll definitely want to accept.
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