"Steven Universe" Creator Rebecca Sugar Had No Idea the Series Would Become So Beloved
Spend any amount of time in the cartoon world that is Steven Universe and you’ll find there’s absolutely nothing ordinary about the Cartoon Network series. Sure, the animated television show does contain fantastical elements that are hallmarks of cartoons — science fiction, superpowers, and an adorable pink pet lion, just to name a few — but, beyond that, the Emmy-nominated series is like nothing else on television, and that’s exactly the way it was created to be.
Since its premiere in 2013, Steven Universe has made history. The show’s creator, Rebecca Sugar, is the first non-male in Cartoon Network history to have created and led her own animated series, and just weeks ago, she reached another milestone: Steven Universe televised one of the first animated queer wedding proposals between Ruby and Sapphire.
On its surface, Steven Universe appears to be a series centered around a young boy named Steven and his quest to fully understand the world around him. But, as one dives deeper into the animated series, the full scope of Rebecca’s carefully created world is revealed. Raised by his father and a group of genderless beings called the Crystal Gems, the titular Steven and his guardian Gems protect the world from evil threats. But beyond showcasing their fantastical adventures, Steven Universe has set an impressive precedent for cartoons, presenting storylines focusing on gender identity, LGBTQ+ relationships, mental health, and more.
“We never wanted to shy away from anything that felt real,” Rebecca told Teen Vogue. “One of the goals early on was to show Steven living in a very real world, where all of the adults around him are living very adult lives and having adult problems. He’s slowly getting this window into the heaviness of reality for everyone around him. I wanted the show to be able to grow up with the audience and to be realizing all these sorts of heavy, beautiful, and complicated things about what maturity is.”
The show’s willingness to explore these subjects and incorporate a continuing narrative of inclusion is what has made it so popular and impactful among its fans. Steven Universe has amassed an impressive following, with viewers taking to Tumblr, Twitter, and even a 2018 San Diego Comic-Con panel to express how the out-of-this-world adventures of an animated child has changed their lives.
For Rebecca, the support has been “transformative” but somewhat surprising. “I had no idea that it would connect with people on this scale,” she said. “We didn’t try to change anything to be more generic or be more readable. I thought that because of that certain people would get it, but most people wouldn’t. I’ve been astonished at the reach that this has had. It’s amazing to me and makes me feel so much less alone.”
Steven Universe has often been a direct reflection of Rebecca’s life, with the creator previously revealing in an interview with The Mary Sue that the series is inspired by her brother Steven. Additionally, Rebecca recently shared that she has used the show’s Crystal Gems as a means of exploring her own feelings regarding being nonbinary. In fact, she told Teen Vogue that the Crystal Gem named Garnet is based off her own relationship with partner and former Steven Universe collaborator Ian Jones-Quartey. Garnet is a fusion of two Crystal Gems (Ruby and Sapphire), and the way the two parts form a whole mirrors the way Rebecca first started the show. As she explained, "Early on in the show, Garnet was very much us because we had to be both a couple and showrunners together, and we had to be really strong in all of our decisions and we felt the pressure of holding a team together. It was really difficult for us and we’ve changed so much as we’ve tried to grow up. I was 25 when I started running Steven, so I’ve changed a lot, and I've really gotten to explore that through Garnet and Ruby and Sapphire as characters."
She added that the show has provided her an outlet in which to explore conversations and ideas she hasn't yet been able to have in real life. "The characters are able to express [things] in a way that I wasn’t quite able to express myself. When I find out that someone has been able to talk to someone they care about and sort of use the show as a frame of reference, it’s really moving to me because it’s been that for me," she said. "Ultimately, as much as I want this show to be this force for change, people are really the force for change, and if the show can be a tool that they can use to have conversations with the people they care about, then that’s the greatest thing we’ll be able to accomplish with the show."
As Rebecca begins to look toward the future and the much-anticipated release of a televised Steven Universe movie, she's hopeful that the show will continue to resonate with its viewers. She never wants Steven Universe to gloss over how hard, but beautiful, life can truly be.
"I think it's strange that media for children doesn't tell you that it's OK to be confused," she said. "It's OK to question, it's OK to not have everything figured out, and it's OK that you might never have everything figured out because who does? The reality is that everyone can change, everyone can be flexible, and everyone can go through being confused and wanting to learn. If you make a mistake, that’s not necessarily bad and that’s something you can use as a chance to grow. Please feel free to explore who you are, and what this world is. It’s going to be messy and confusing and that’s OK."
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