Since season one, I have waved the flag for Steven Universe, going so far as to introduce it to my WWAC co-writers. Naturally, I was as excited as any devoted viewer when Cartoon Network announced the “Summer of Steven” in which we’d get at least two weeks of nightly episodes, including a couple of 22…
WWAC Talks Friendship & Friendship Break-Ups, Pt. 2: Advice & Media
Earlier this week, we talked about friendships ending: Signs for toxic friendships that need to end, potential reasons for why some friendships end, and how patriarchy can negatively impact our friendships. In Part 2, we continue this conversation by sharing our advice, based on our own experiences, when dealing with the pain and grief that comes…
Knit Your Comics: Garnet’s Gauntlets
Knit Your Comics returns with a special pattern for all my fellow crystal gems. True confession: I’d never watched Steven Universe until I started this project. I’d crowdsourced for KYC ideas and someone mentioned the show, and the project seemed doable. But I needed a show to watch while working on this project, and so I put…
Urban Legends with the Crystal Gems: Review of Steven Universe #1
Steven Universe and the Crystal Gems #1 Josceline Fenton (writer), Chrystin Garland (illustrator), Leigh Luna (colorist), Jim Campbell (letters), Kat Leyh (cover) Kaboom! March 16, 2016 Disclaimer: A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher, and this review contains spoilers. In Steven Universe and the Crystal Gems, Steven treats the Gems to…
Letting Yourself Harass Zamii For Love of Steven Universe: Life Lessons From Going Too Far
Content warning: we’re going to talk about harassment and self-harm. Do you get a shiver down your spine and a catch in your heartbeat when you tell somebody they’ve done something hurtful? That’s really entirely okay. Physical responses to internal stress and the feedback of bravery aren’t rotten. It’s alright to enjoy the roller coaster…
Steven Universe: Mum’s The Word
For a long time I’ve been pondering the roles that mothers play in fiction, especially media aimed towards younger viewers. Sometimes nameless, occasionally silent, women who are either helpless, shrill, or too often dead before any story can begin. These aren’t always terrible roles for characters to play, given the right attention and nurturing they…
Cosplay: Turning Jamie into Rose Quartz
I’ve been easing my way, a little at a time, into cosplay. The reasons being that 1) Representation matters to me, so I prefer to primarily cosplay women of color; 2) cosplay is expensive, time consuming, and skill intensive; and 3) chronic illness and the struggles it brings to daily life can make cosplay challenging…
What’s So Important About the New Steven Universe Theme?
While the eager fans of Steven Universe wait for the second half of season two on Cartoon Network in September, there was a very overwhelming, emotional, and amazing overnight sensation that took everyone by surprise. Fans were presented with the extended San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) version of the Steven Universe theme song in all its…
The Sound of the Universe: The Music of Steven Universe Season 1
There’s a lot of things that drove Steven Universe to be the success that it has become. The characters are flawed, as well as being absolutely flawless, the art is amazing and well put together, the entire world of the Crystal Gems and Beach City are unimaginably cool. And the most important thing is the music…
Decoding Gems: Gem Mythology of Steven Universe
About a month or two ago, I introduced a friend to the wonderful world of Steven Universe. We sat together, backs against the couch and watched it on a small television across her room. I was squeeing with excitement and singing along as she sat confused about the concept of what a Crystal Gem was. She…
Keep Beach City Weird: A Quick Guide to Steven Universe
Have you ever wanted to watch Steven Universe, but not sure where to start? Have you ever wanted a fan of everything cartoons to show you the way into Steven Universe? Then don’t fall out of the Warp Pad as I give you a very quick and easy guide into the world of Steven Universe…
Steven Universe
The first female solo-created series in Cartoon Network’s 21-year history, Rebecca Sugar’s Steven Universe premieres with a lot of fanfare. Series openers “Gem Glow” and “Laser Light Cannon” drop us headfirst into Steven’s, um, universe, where the enthusiastic young boy protects Beach City alongside the mystical warriors known as the Crystal Gems—AKA Garnet, Amethyst, and…
