Vita Ayala Developing Stories for DC’s Pride Month Anthology Comic Featuring LGBTQIA+ Characters

Vita Ayala is bringing a little pride to the comic book world…

The queer Afro-Latinx writer has joined the DC Pride creative time for DC’s June Pride Month, which included the launch of an 80-page anthology comic featuring LGBTQIA+ characters from across the DC Universe.

Vita Ayala

The anthology DC Pride #1 will feature cameos by Batwoman, Renee Montoya, Alan Scott, Midnighter, Apollo, Extraño, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Constantine, and more.

The DC Pride creative teams, and the characters they’re developing stories for, are:

  • Renee Montoya by Vita Ayala and Skylar Patridge
  • Batwoman (Kate Kane) by James Tynion IV & Trung Le Nguyen
  • Poison Ivy & Harley Quinn by Mariko Tamaki & Amy Reeder
  • Midnighter by Steve Orlando & Stephen Byrne
  • Flash of Earth-11 (Jess Chambers) by Danny Lore & Lisa Sterle
  • Green Lantern (Alan Scott) & Obsidian by Sam Johns & Klaus Janson
  • Aqualad (Jackson Hyde) by Andrew Wheeler & Luciano Vecchio
  • Dreamer by Nicole Maines & Rachel Stott
  • Pied Piper by Sina Grace, Ro Stein & Ted Brandt

The anthology will include full-page profiles of DCTV’s LGBTQIA+ characters and the actors who play them. A special bonus for fans of The CW’s Supergirl will be the introduction of the first comic book appearance of Dreamer, a trans woman superhero, in a story written by actor Nicole Maines, who plays Nia Nal/Dreamer on Supergirl.

Rounding out the DC Pride anthology is a forward by Marc Andreyko (Love is Love), and single-page pin-ups by artists Kris Anka, Sophie Campbell, Mildred Louis, Travis Moore, Nick Robles and Kevin Wada.

The DC Pride #1 cover is by Jim Lee, Scott Williams and Tamra Bonvillain.

DC will also release a series of Pride theed variant covers showcasing DC’s leading characters through the month of June, giving fans the opportunity to purchase comics featuring covers with Batman, Harley, Ivy, Superman, Wonder Woman, and more. These include:

  • Batman#109 Pride variant cover by Jen Bartel
  • Crush & Lobo#1 Pride variant cover by Yoshi Yoshitani
  • DC Pride#1 Pride variant cover by Jen Bartel
  • Harley Quinn#4 Pride variant cover by Kris Anka
  • Nightwing #81 Pride variant cover by Travis G. Moore
  • Superman#32 Pride variant cover by David Talaski
  • Teen Titans Academy#4 Pride variant cover by Stephen Byrne
  • Wonder Girl #2 Pride variant cover by Kevin Wada
  • Wonder Woman #773 Pride variant cover by Paulina Ganucheau

DC will also present an eight-issue miniseries, Crush & Lobo, by Tamaki and Nahuelpan, spinning out of the pages of Teen Titans Academy. The book will debut with a cover by Kris Anka, a Pride variant cover by Yoshi Yoshitani, a 1:25 ratio variant by Christian Ward, plus a Dan Hipp team variant for participating retailers. The book will be published between June and January 2022.

DC will also publish GLAAD Media Award-nominated Suicide Squad: Bad Blood by Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo (Nightwing) on April 27, DC’s gothic LGBTQIA+ romance Poison Ivy: Thorns by Kody Keplinger and Sara Kipin on June 1, and Mariko Tamaki and Yoshi Yoshitani’s YA graphic novel, I Am Not Starfirewill publish on July 27 as part of the publisher’s overall Pride plans in 2021.

Lois Lane by Greg Rucka and Mike PerkinsFar Sector by N.K. Jemisin and Jamal Campbell and You Brought Me The Ocean by Alex Sánchez and Julie Maroh have also been nominated for GLAAD Media Awards in 2021.

Celaya to Star in ABC’s Drama Pilot “The Death of Eva Sofia Valdez”

Angelica Celaya is ready for a supernatural role…

The 33-year-old Mexican American actress has been cast in ABC drama pilot The Death of Eva Sofia Valdez.

Angelica Celaya

From writer Charise Castro Smith and producers Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters, the project is described as a sexy revenge drama with a supernatural twist. Hailed as “MacBeth with a Cuban twist,” it centers on Eva Sofia Valdez, an immigrant who rose from rags to riches and is a celebrated Miami entrepreneur and a champion for immigrant rights. But her success is fueled by an insatiable ambition that could destroy her family, a vendetta against the lover who betrayed her, and ghosts from the past who threaten to reveal the dark sacrifices Eva Sofia made to attain the American Dream.

Celaya will play Dominique, a “shadow woman” who mysteriously enters Eva Sofia’s life and although she is ancient, she takes the shape of a younger woman who will cut you or be with you – whatever it takes to lure another desperate soul into her collection.

Celaya most recently starred on the television series Constantine. Her other credits include appearances on Dallas and Burn Notice.

Ramirez to Star in the Untitled Judah Miller Comedy Pilot

Efren Ramirez may be heading to a television near you…

The 41-year-old Mexican/Salvadoran American actor, who rose to acclaim as Pedro Sánchez in the 2004 indie film Napoleon Dynamite, has been cast in the untitled Judah Miller comedy pilot.

Efren Ramirez

The single-camera project centers on a Tony Award-winning mother (portrayed by Megan Hilty) and a risk-averse, cerebral father who are blessed with a son who is a natural-born competitive athlete. They are forced outside their parental comfort zones and into the high-octane world of youth sports.

Ramirez will play Jose Luis, one of “The Three Bears” — three large men (of varying sizes) who are Irene’s gay Greek chorus. They are the one thing in the suburbs that remind Irene of her days living in Manhattan.

Ramirez’s credits include television appearances on Constantine, Eastbound & Down, Scrubs and George Lopez.

Celaya to Star in NBC’s Supernatural Thriller “Constantine”

Angelica Celaya has landed a supernatural role…

The 32-year-old Mexican American actress and telenovela star has been cast in NBC’s new supernatural thriller Constantine.

Angelica Celaya

Celaya, who guest-starred on Burn Notice, will portray the character of Zed on the show.

The series is based on the characters appearing in the comic series Hellblazerpublished by DC Comics under their Vertigoimprint.

Executive producer Daniel Cerone described Zed as a character with “an interesting dark past” and called her a perfect foil for the title character of John Constantine, portrayed by Matt Ryan, a dark magician who is struggling with his past sins as he tries to protect humanity from a gathering supernatural threat.

“Zed is intuitive, she can detect bulls***,” he said, and Constantine is a “bulls*** artist.”

In addition to Ryan and Celaya, Constantine also stars Harrold Perrineau and Charles Halford.