We learned quite a bit reporting on the scene from the Steven Universe panel at New York ComicCon this year—and a lot of it will affect how and when you watch the show when new episodes come back this fall. Here’s some awesome factoids and hints showrunner Rebecca Sugar dropped about the new season, in addition to cool facts about the cast and the show.
1. Rebecca Sugar wants more old-school musical genres on the show. As a kid, she loved The Fiddler on the Roof and The Music Man, and wants to add more theatrical musical numbers as the show progresses. She’s also been pulling old MGM musicals featuring Judy Garland as inspiration.
2. Sugar was moved that fans responded to “Here Comes a Thought,” in particular. Apparently, she also approached it from a place of catharsis in her own life as she was writing it.
3. If you really liked Garnet’s storytelling about the past, expect more! As in, as soon as this season! Sugar wants to explore more past events the Crystal Gems have faced by exploring them through Garnet’s perspective.
4. Sugar saw Takafumi Hori’s animated fan art of her characters and loved it so much that she is now working with him on the show.
5. Rebecca Sugar’s favorite book is The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin.
6. None of the actors record together. All of their lines are recorded separately and then mixed together in post.
7. Zach Callison, the voice of Steven Universe, was asked his favorite cheese during the panel. He revealed he’s actually lactose intolerant.
8. Michaela Dietz, the voice of Amethyst, once ate a wad of paper just to prove she could. This is the most Amethyst move ever.
9. A clip of a new episode called “Dewey Wins” was screened during the panel. In it, Connie and Steven have an argument about him surrendering himself to the Diamonds in Homeworld, and…well just watch it. It doesn’t go well.
10. Sugar didn’t want to reveal much, but did hint at a detail about gems. She said that gem placement depends on the individual personality of the gem—not “genetic” factors or factors associated with gem creation. She said that that if she revealed more, it would have been major spoilers. WHAT IS SHE HIDING?!?
11. Patti Lupone became the voice of Yellow Diamond because Sugar saw her in a production of Sweeney Todd. She asked her to join in the Steven cast afterward. Sugar was extremely nervous about getting her to do a song (“What’s the Use of Feeling Blue?”).
12. There is a new book coming soon. It’s called Fusion for Beginners and Experts by Angie Wang and Rebecca Sugar, and it will contain selections of poetry and prose related to the concept of gem fusion. It is expected December 26, 2017.
13. The Steven Universe podcast is returning October 26, 2017. It’ll be back with an 8-part miniseries.
That’s all folks! Hope to see you all next year at NYCC!
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