Marcy's Journal - a Guide to Amphibia

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Marcy’s queer identity remains a mystery, yet I can’t help but feel inspired by how much the journal has fans treating her as some sort of gay icon. In retrospect, I think Amphibia was tantalisingly close to the kind of show the network really wanted - funny jokes, warm characters, and friendly visuals. Far removed from the teenage hijinks that defined them, the timeskip was a bittersweet farewell to a show many held dear. I still think she’s fruitier than a bag of jelly beans, but as much as I wish the journal cemented that, it’s far from the end of the world that it doesn’t.

I remember one of our creative executives, who is a good friend of mine, was briefly cautious - “are you sure about this? MB: Honestly, I think the fans were very mature and respectful about our choice not to create any official romantic pairings between the three human leads. Nothing is off the table, and handing over that power to the fandom was likely the only right move here. The show was really a wonderful opportunity to smash all these cool things together like some mad scientist in a lab.

Many artists/creatives tend to be meek as well and have trouble asserting themselves or speaking up when they’re struggling or unhappy…so once again, I think it’s an easy quality to pass on to our heroes. Additionally, because you, as a viewer, KNOW what happens at the end of Season 2, we were able to bake in a lot of dramatic irony with Marcy’s early solo adventures.

TG: When it comes to the third season, from both a narrative and character perspective, do you feel like you achieved everything you wanted when it comes to wrapping things up for Amphibia? MB: I’m very proud of the ending - it’s everything I wanted for the show and its characters from the beginning. To both throw aside any potential accusation of queerbaiting and to prevent inevitable disappointment - Marcy Wu does not come out in the journal, nor is her sexual identity brought up at any point. There are a lot of moody sentiments in the Journal that would have utterly halted the pacing of some of our episodes…but on the page we were able to make them feel as if they were happening in tandem to the action/comedy found in the show.The episode Escape to Amphibia had two car chases, a hallway action sequence, and a giant killer mantis attacking throngs of FBI agents.

TG: One thing I’ve noticed with female heroines in recent years is the theme of self-sacrifice and a lack of worth in who they are as people and what they’re capable of. The human brain is very fond of the 90-minute runtime, it feels like a full meal without overstaying its welcome. For example, the space battle in The Hardest Thing is such a powerful moment for Anne, Sasha, and Marcy because it’s their last dance together.

Because I am an absolute fruitcake, many of the pages I decided to share feature Marcy Wu, Anne Boonchuy, and Sasha Waybright as gals being pals.

MB: In terms of pacing, I think the reason it works well is that we wrote it with a 90-minute movie format in mind. When it came to depicting Anne, Sasha, and Marcy as older women after such a long passage of time did that come with any particular pressure? You could assume she is being romantic or pining, but there’s no official confirmation (nor denial) of anything. But honestly, seeing Anne grown up and working at an aquarium is something that has delighted everyone who has seen it.

TG: Is there any question or thing about Amphibia you haven’t been asked before but would like to bless me with? For a show, rambly dialogue and inner monologues are big no nos…but for a book like this it’s extremely natural. editor's note: both characters are played by Troy Baker, so it’s a wild coincidence to dismember both.