1980s girl-band cartoon Jem and the Holograms is enjoying something of a rebirth right now, getting a movie reboot and a new comic. We’re expecting plenty of retro goodness from the new Jem comic, but its creators have revealed that they’ll be making a few welcome updates too.
In an interview with the Advocate, writer Kelly Thompson and artist Ross Campbell announced that they have made two of Jem’s band members gay. Kimber, Jem’s red-haired young sister), and Stormer, the blue-haired keytar player, will have a romantic relationship in the comic.
Both of the new Jem comic’s co-creators are well aware of the cartoon’s many queer fans.
“We are definitely having LGBTA+ characters,” Thompson told the Advocate. “Jem was always really diverse, but it was of course a bit limited by the time period and by being a children’s cartoon. It’s only natural that a modern Jem includes additional diversity.”
Thompson also mentioned that the creators had plans to add other LGBTA+ characters, although it’s early days, so the creative team hasn’t yet decided on the details of those plans.
For a look at Kimber and Stormer back in their neon-tinted 1980s heyday, here they are on a song called “I’m Okay.” Can you ship it? We already do.
H/T The Mary Sue | Screengrab via TheMitigator/YouTube