It has been a rough year for animation, but there are more great series and movies to watch in 2022, than ever before. It is getting harder and harder for ideas to thrive as the industry faces mismanagement. One of the best runners of the year will get a second run.
Dead End: Paranormal Park is an adaptation of the comic series DeadEndia showrun by the author. The series told the story of Barney, a young trans boy looking for acceptance after troubles at home in the form of taking a job at a nominally haunted theme park, and it took our hearts when it was released on the streaming service. The show will return for a second season in the fall.
Steele spoke to us over email to find out what fun Barney and the rest of the crew will have when they come back. You can check it out below.
Thank you for the season two announcement. It feels good to have that out in the world.
It's amazing! I was excited to announce another season because I have felt the fan base growing and growing. It feels good to give this good news to everyone because I see so many theories and fan art.
The first season came out as we were stuck in a wave of assaults on trans rights. What was it like to see the reaction to Barney when the first season of the show was released?
Steele naively thought that Barney wouldn't be a big deal when the show came out. I am not sure if it came out at the right time or not. It was scary to be so visible in a show in the UK where transphobia is our main export. I am proud that we were able to make our team safe and clear where we stood. I didn't think twice about making Barney trans when I created him in the first place. He represented boring normality to me. It took me a while to get used to him being a different character. He may be the first trans person viewers get to know. The response to him has been great.
By the end of the first season, Barney and Norma had dealt with some of their larger issues. What challenges will be faced in the second season?
Barney and Logs will take their relationship to the next level and we will get to see them trying to make being boyfriends in a world filled with ghosts and demons work. Barney is caught up in the supernatural and wants a normal life with Logs. She may be developing feelings for Badyah as she shifts her interest to demonology. I am a little worried that some of the fans will not like the storyline. People might know what I am talking about if they have read the second book. I am really proud of the story and it came from my own experiences. Even if it isn't the most sunshine and rainbows direction people were hoping for, I hope it's still very real. Our show has always tried to be as realistic as possible. It is important to fight through the pain and come out on the other side when things don't always end well.
The angels were teased at the end of the first season.
Steele asked why he said the villain. What about the masked creature zapping the big bad in the first season of the show? That's right, ha ha! The second season will be more about what's upstairs than what's down. We will explore the demons more and meet some angels. A major character in the books wasn't in the first season. Jamie Demetriou played that character. He is now a regular on the show. Again... friend or foe?
Can fans expect the show to play with more genres as we go into the new season?
Steele said yes. We have a full Sports Movie episode when Barney joins the Demon Wrestling Federation. The finale will be even more epic. Some of the episodes feel more like sitcom plots than in the first season. There are two kinds of experimental episodes later in the season, which take place at the same time from two different perspectives.
Do you see a future where Dead End goes beyond what was written in Dead Endia?
Steele wants three seasons to tell the full story since there are three books. It is up to the gods to make that decision. I have ideas for spinoffs, but I don't want anyone to be excited. The second season is a bigger hit than the first.
You will be talking about the show at Gayming Live Online. How important is it for you to highlight the Dead End series at events like these?
Steele was aware that there would be some hate for the show from the right. What mattered to me was making sure that the community was aware of the show. If they only watched a small portion of the show, they would love it. I'm from a fan club. I like to draw Adventure Time fan art. If this wasn't my show, I would've been a part of it. I like doing events like this and talking to queer-focussed media because I know they get us, and I don't have to worry about the kids.
What has it been like for you to navigate these news cycles of corporate mismanagement as you showrun your own series?
Steele says it's not great. I worry that this fight isn't being heard. The majority of people don't read news about the entertainment industry on social media. While a lot of trust has been lost this summer from workers in this industry, I worry that all they care about are the customers who haven't heard about anything. We need to demand better treatment. I feel fortunate that I have been able to drop 20 episodes of animation. My sympathies go out to the crews of those canceled shows. I hope there is a bright future ahead.
The second season of Dead End: Paranormal Park will premiere on October 13th.
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