Earthworm Jim, the spacefaring invertebrate you may remember from 1990s video games, supports trans rights. That may surprise fans since his creator, Doug TenNapel, has a history of transphobic comments.
TenNapel will play no part in an upcoming animated series based on the franchise. Interplay Entertainment, which owns the rights to the character, said so on Twitter: “We’ve assembled a whole new creative team for [the series] Earthworm Jim. The original creator is not involved at all.”
Interplay, which is producing the show, gave no reason for TenNapel’s absence. But the artist, who is also the creator of animated series Catscratch for Nickelodeon and Project G.e.e.K.e.R. for CBS, has a history of controversial statements on issues like trans rights and gay marriage, both of which he has publicly condemned. In 2017, he was criticized for misgendering a journalist who had written a critical article about Earthworm Jim for Kotaku.