During the Steven Universe panel at New York Comic-Con, fans learned that the show would be getting a sixth season titled Steven Universe Future. Rebecca Sugar, the creator, gave fans a sneak peek of the new intro and logo for the show. The shown title sequence features the song Happily Ever After from Steven Universe: The Movie, which premiered in September.
Rebecca Sugar is the first female cartoon creator in Cartoon Network history. Steven Universe started production in 2012 and premiered in November of 2013. Sugar was inspired to write Steven Universe from her thesis film produced in college titled Singles. Before Steven Universe, she worked on the show Adventure Time which has ended last year. Her work on Adventure Time led to her being on the Forbes: 30 Under 30 in Entertainment in 2012, “Adventure Time is one of the most innovative cartoons on TV, and many of the best episodes were written by Sugar.”
Ruby proposes to Sapphire
For years Sugar has worked on visible representation for the LGBTQIA+ community. In July of 2018, Steven Universe aired the first same-sex marriage proposal in animation history in the episode “Reunited”; the episode that followed showed the wedding and an on-screen kiss. “Reunited” earned the shows it’s fifth Emmy nomination. Sugar reflected on the journey to that episode during an interview with Entertainment Weekly, “When we started doing this in 2011, it was impossible and it has become possible over the last many years of working really hard to do this.”
In 2016 Sugar came out as bisexual and in 2018 nonbinary. Steven Universe has been chance for her to explore her relationship with gender. Sugar finds a sort of freedom in allowing her past to help write realistic stories. What pushes Sugar to continue on this journey of representation is how vital queer representation is for all ages. “You can’t wait to tell them that until after they grow up or the damage will be done. You have to tell them while they’re still children that they deserve love and that they deserve support and that people will be excited to hear their story.”
Readers can watch seasons 1-4 of Steven Universe on Hulu. Cartoon Network has not announced when the sixth season will premiere.