Except for the openly gay Batwoman featured in the new CW comic series, there’s not a lot of LGBTQ representation for superheroes. Of course, we can always speculate if Batman and Robin knocked capes on the DL down in that cave, and Space Ghost and Deadpool are also suspect. That said, these examples are anomalies.
A new ultra-queer superhero series named KAPPA FORCE is looking to change all that. Making its debut on October 27, Revry TV’s KAPPA FORCE is superhero satire with an intersectional queer take on the college rom-com.
Centering around Greek life at an All-American university “somewhere” in the United States, the series presents a unique cast of characters including fabulous queer femme POC, trans and lesbian college superhero sorority sisters seeking “Sorority Justice for Frat Boy Scum,” frat boy enemies, and an evil antagonistic frat leader named, ‘The Douche.’
Fans of Netflix’s ALEX STRANGELOVE will recognize the sorority leader played by actress Madeline Weinstein who also is currently starring on Broadway in the Harry Potter Musical. In KAPPA FORCE, there are times when Weinstein’s performance is reminiscent of the teenage angst vulnerability of Sarah Martin on Party of five – the character that made Jennifer Love-Hewitt a star.
KAPPA FORCE creator, Addison Heimann, is very open about the personal journey that led him to create the show. Like many of us, he shares how he’s suffered through a bout of depression and describes that time as a very dark place,
“I created a world I wanted to live in: a world in which a trans woman, an Asian woman, a black woman, and a lesbian, kick butt and take names, all in the name of feminism…and humor. I’ve always found the idea of “meta-humor” as a distinctly queer aspect of comedy. You get to wink through the screen, securing a bond that connects actors and audiences, assuring each other that we’re all in on the joke. I created nothing new, but the reality is, there is a severe lack of queer representation in the genre space, especially with superhero comic fare. By simply putting queer faces in the front of a genre project, getting to play out the tropes that cis straight actors have done for years: that is my kind of visibility. It literally pulled me out of my depression.”
That ideal world Heimann created looks and sounds fantastic; think Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets CW teen coming of age dramas, throw in some bitchy comedy, and LGBTQ heroes who save the day. Then to top it off, set it all to a soundtrack of pop parodies of The Spice Girls, Justin Beiber, Paula Cole and Third Eye Blind. It’s a trippy ride. Bong hits not included, but don’t worry; you won’t need it.
Another key aspect to acknowledge is creator, Addison Heimann’s LatinX heritage. As October is Hispanic heritage month, it’s refreshing to see work by those who are reflective of a new generation of ethnic content creators. Diverse media representations can positively impact how people in marginalized groups see themselves and shape perception in the world. So hat’s off to Addison Heimann on this, fun, out-there, and inclusionary project where nearly everyone, and I mean everyone, is represented.
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