Cartoon Network’s Craig of the Creek is a true example of properly handling diversity and representation for writers’ rooms across television.
Cartoon Network's Craig of the Creek follows the friendship of Craig Williams, Kelsey Pokoloy and J.P. Mercer, as they venture through the childhood utopia of the Creek. The Creek is made up of different mini-societies of kids, each governed by their own hobbies. The Horse Girls gallop in the Meadow. The 10 Speeds rule Ramp City with bike tricks. And other groups and individual kids with their own special flare build the animated series into a vibrant celebration of human uniqueness.
For many reasons, Craig of the Creek is the type of series that children should have growing up. This show teaches great lessons about conflict resolution and navigating many different kinds of relationships, wrapped in self-aware humor that even older viewers can enjoy. However, one of the most impactful attributes of Craig of the Creek is its bold statements of diversity. While Warner Bros. Discovery is making cuts in animation, it would be a travesty for Craig of the Creek to fall given what it can teach both viewers and creatives about diversity.
Craig of the Creek is a triumph with its representation of the LGBTQIA+ community and different cultures, ethnicities and races. It particularly excels with its representation of Black characters. Main protagonist Craig is an inventive Black kid, but he is also surrounded by unique Black characters including Cannonball (the hilarious trick cyclist of the 10 Speeds) and Sparkle Cadet (a girl who adopted the persona and outfit popularized by "magic girl" anime like Sailor Moon).
In some episodes, these characters come together with Craig to go on misadventures as the Ice Pop Trio. Viewers get to see three uniquely written Black protagonists carrying the story — an uncommon occurrence in most television series. It is important for viewers, especially underrepresented children, to see themselves in media and know that they can be their unique selves.
Craig of the Creek is also a triumph for the way in which it handles its representation. Craig and Kelsey are more than just "the Black kid" or "the Jewish girl" respectively. Those are important parts of their identity, but the show gives them narrative purpose beyond their demographics. Craig has a knack for invention and mapmaking, while Kelsey is passionate about Arthurian fantasy and writing novels. These characters are written with many layers and have a variety of plots that do not reduce them io caricatures or tokens.
Other television series have a lot to learn from the way Craig of the Creek handles representation. Many shows that attempt it struggle to display diversity as a status quo. This failure to have multiple characters of a similar ethnicity, or writers unwilling to make them multi-layered individuals, can result in content that is harmfully tokenizing, as in Tim Burton's Wednesday.
Craig of the Creek not only has representation of different races and ethnicities, but a lot of it. Having many multi-layered characters of an ethnicity or race then makes it easier for showrunners to depict that they are not just stereotypical carbon copies of their demographic. They are all written as unique individuals who are not exclusively defined by their identity markers, but also by their personalities and interests.
If the only Black character in a TV show is the school bully who loves basketball, and that's as deep as the character goes, it is not an example of meaningful diversity. Craig of the Creek's large amount of diverse characters would make that character into an exception, not just a stereotypical persona. Diverse writers' rooms produce diverse and unique content, and Warner Bros. should make diversity a priority both on and off screen by keeping Craig of the Creek.
Craig of the Creek is now streaming on HBO Max.
Cartoon Network's Craig of the Creek Shows What Meaningful … – CBR – Comic Book Resources
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