deerstalker

Ghost Squad is a middle grade/young audiences (depending on their tolerance for the spooky) novel that does so many things right: remixes the “kids on bikes” trope, prioritizes adventuring for black and brown girls, and how adventuring doesn’t end when you get older. Ghost Squad understands the importance of inter-generationality, and gives us a uniquely […]

By Désirée Guzzetta

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!”

As soon as my friends see me post this on social media, they know what I’m talking about, and it’s not Christmas.

It’s Shark Week!

I’ve been an avid fan of Discovery’s Shark Week offerings as long as I can remember. I can’t wait to snuggle into the couch with a snack and a glint in my eye and start watching. It’s the next best thing to SDCC for me.

Social media has enabled me to share my love of sharks with my friends and followers by posting RSFs, or Random Shark Facts, that I glean from each of the specials that airs. I pick whatever fact is most interesting to me in the moment and post it. It’s random because it happens when it happens during the show; I don’t wait until the episode is over to pick one favorite fact.

I wasn’t always a shark lover; having been traumatized by Steven Spielberg’s Jaws when I was a child, I set about learning everything I could about sharks in order to allay my fears. I still have a bit of fear whenever I swim in the ocean, but it’s more of a healthy respect now that I’ve seen so many specials and learned so much about shark behavior.

Join me this week as I live Tweet RSFs during each special I’m able to watch when it first airs (Pacific Time), and then again at the end of it all for a recap/review of the specials. It’ll be fun and informative!

Did you know when a shark launches itself vertically underneath its prey, it’s called a Polaris attack? Do you want to know more? Follow me at @dezbot on Twitter and let’s get randomly sharky!

You can find the full schedule with descriptions HERE

The post Shark Week Is Here and I Couldn’t Be Happier appeared first on The Nerd Element.

Change is coming to the world of animation, and it’s a good change: the Disney Channel cartoon The Owl House now officially features an out LGBTQ+ character. As io9 reports, it’s not only a first for the popular children’s show. It also marks the first time Disney has fronted a queer leading character in any of their stories.

Over the course of the series, there have been subtle hints that the show’s main character, Luz, might be queer. A recent storyline showed her becoming particularly close to her former rival, Amity, which culminated in the latest episode. Viewers learned that Amity was planning on asking Luz to go to the prom with her… and not just as a friend. Owl House‘s creator, Dana Terrace, confirmed Amity’s bisexuality on Twitter adding “Representation matters! Always fight to make what YOU want to see!”

This marks a big step for Disney, who despite being one of the biggest and most influential corporations, has offered its audience very little in the way of queer representation. Earlier this year, Pixar released an LGBT short on Disney+ and its recent film Onward included a brief cameo from a queer character voiced by Lena Waithe. On the superhero side, Marvel will finally get canonically queer superheroes in Phase 4 with Thor: Love and Thunder and The Eternals—but only after 22 films and a decade of characters.

Disney

In her tweet, Terrace noted that she always intended to put queer kids in the main cast of her show, but “when we were greenlit I was told by certain Disney leadership that I could NOT represent any form of bi or gay relationship on the Channel.” Alex Hirsch, creator of Gravity Falls, weighed in with his happiness and confirmed that when he was working on his show back in 2012, “Disney FORBADE me from any explicit LGBTQ+ rep.”

It seems that Disney is finally taking the steps to bring more queer characters into the spotlight—and more importantly, into the world of animation. 2020 may be a tough year, but there have been a handful of positives. And representation in animation is definitely one of them.

Featured Image: Disney

The post OWL HOUSE Creator Confirms Bisexual Character appeared first on Nerdist.

New York may be the city that never sleeps — but sometimes, that’s exactly what you need to do for a little R&R. 

With New York City (almost) back up and running following the global coronavirus pandemic, recharging in a remote locale is the self-care you may not know you need. Thankfully, there are plenty of options, all within driving distance of the Big Apple, and they’re all short on time, but big on fun, excitement and adventure.

So if you’re looking to escape sometime in the near future, here are a few options that are within 6 hours or less, making for the perfect road trip for family, friends or even lovers.

The post Best Weekend Escapes Within Driving Distance of New York City appeared first on Essence.