As we've established again and again, we're big nerds. Like, the biggest. Bigger than you, even. Yet, we still get emails citing us as cool (okay, one email, but still...). Anyway, to prove once again that were big ol' dweebs, here's the link to AfterElton's story on gay comic book characters.

The boys jump from comic company to comic company, highlighting the goods, the bads, and the uglies of the business. One ugly, they say, comes in the form of Marvel Comic's EIC, Joe Quesada. Of the seemingly straight-washed gay character, The Rawhide Kid (pictured - notice the warning, another thing with which they boys take offense), they write:

Many gay readers were recently shocked to learn that the entry for Rawhide Kid in an encyclopedia-style comic, Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe No. 9 (published Sept. 27), fails to mention his homosexuality and even seems to do its best to erase the possibility of it. That being said, in recounting histories, Handbook writers are limited to story content.

Quesada stated in an interview that the incident was unintentional and no offense was intended, and Rawhide Kid is still gay. Quesada has not responded to AfterElton.com's request for comments regarding the general treatment of gay and lesbian characters in Marvel comics.

Also, as an aside, when AfterElton's editor, Michael Jensen, told us about the story, we sent an excited email promising to give it a twirl. His reply? "Somehow I knew you'd be into the comics piece!"

Oh, Michael, you know us so well...