Pride Flag Relay: A Celebration of Queerness in Animated Series
This 30-second animation is a love letter to LGBTQIA+ representation in animation. It’s to acknowledge the kids (and adults) around the world who have a great appreciation for animated media and have been given the space to hope, and learn about love and themselves through it.
Expertise
Creative Direction, Animation, Design, Edit,
Sound Design, Music, Direction
Partners
rezonate
+
Credits
Creative Directors: Katwo Puertollano \ Nico Puertollano
Design Lead: Bianca Cosca
Animation Leads: Bianca Cosca \ Sofia Abellera
Producer: Hannah Sy
Writers: Martin Bes \ Alissa Sherburne \ Hannah Sy \ Klei Remo
Storyboard: Sofia Abellera
Design: Alissa Sherburne \ Drix Deñola \ Lia Celiz \ Tara Javier
Animation: Bianca Cosca \ Alissa Sherburne \ Gwen Guevarra \ Sofia Abellera \ John Basnillo \ Lia Celiz \ Tara Javier
Compositing: Peter Cañada
Music Edit: EG Albor \ Arielle Carpio
There have been a plethora of cartoon characters that children can look up to throughout the years: He-Man, She-Ra, Optimus Prime, Spongebob, Sailor Moon, Phineas and Ferb, Gumball, etc.
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But it was only recently that a kid could look at someone like Marceline (Adventure Time), or Caitlyn (Arcane), or Stevonnie (Steven Universe)--characters that were not only made with so much thought and care but were also figures of unabated, freely chosen love.
The concept of the flag relay expresses how each individual or character goes through their journey, and the passing of the flag is a metaphor of sharing that experience with someone else, in a way helping them in their journey as they pass it to the next person. And looking at it ar a macro lens we see that we are all working, sharing as a team to help build a stronger and better community.
The team chose characters that our team members grew up loving and best represented each initial in the LGBTQIA acronym and had them champion the Pride flag.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Vi & Caitlyn - ARCANE (2021)
For the first letter, we chose Vi & Caitlyn, who have seen the debut of this dynamic duo just around late 2021. League of Legends is arguably one of the biggest IP's around the world, and as such, does so much for representation.
Victor Nikiforov & Yuri Katsuki - YURI ON ICE (2016)
One of the most groundbreaking anime to come out in recent years, Yuri!!! on Ice was a game-changer for its positive representation of a gay relationship. This one is a huge fan favorite from our audience.
Princess Bubblegum & Marceline Abadeer - ADVENTURE TIME (2013)
Adventure Time: Obsidian gained critical acclaim from fans due to their wholesome portrayal of Princess Bubblegum and Marceline's relationship. The show has been praised for its ability to convey complex emotions in a way that is accessible to children.
Jewelstar - SHE-RA & THE PRINCESSES OF POWER (2018)
Jewelstar, in the 1980’s broadcast of She-Ra, was originally a cis woman. He was announced as a Trans-Man by the 2018 She-Ra character designer Rae Geiger.
Ruby Moon - CARDCAPTOR SAKURA (1999)
Nakuru Akizuki/Ruby Moon from Cardcaptor Sakura is non-binary. Since Ruby Moon is an alien, they have no determined gender. Though as seen in the show, Ruby Moon presents themself in female clothing.
Stevonnie - STEVEN UNIVERSE (2013)
Being the amalgamation of Steven Universe and Connie Maheswaran, Stevonnie lies somewhere between where each character identifies themselves. In their fictional social media bio, Stevonnie identifies as Intersex.
Todd Chavez - BOJACK HORSEMAN (2014)
Todd Chavez came out as Asexual in Season 3 Episode 12 of Bojack Horseman while on a date with Yolanda Buenaventura, a fellow asexual person. Todd is the first openly asexual character to be featured in an animated show.
R & D + PRE PRODUCTION
ANIMATIC
ANIMATION EVOLUTION
Apart from having an emotional attachment to the featured characters, a number of our team members also belong to the LGBTQIA+ community. So, getting to bring these characters to life in our own way is a huge honor.
As such, this animation is also our honest message to the LGBTQIA+ community: may we continue to seek and find strength in characters that remind us that it’s possible to live our truest selves and love in the most genuine ways.
