The Greatest Goth Girls of Cartoons

WHO THEY ARE AND WHY WE NEED MORE OF THESE DARK HEROINES Written and illustrated by Arella Warren, Arts Editor

If you’ve been down the internet rabbit hole before, you’ve probably come across the Goth GF meme. A figure popularized by Millenials and

Gen Zers, the “goth girlfriend” has been championed as the ideal woman amongst many online communities — and understandably so, given the iconic characterization of the goth girl from our childhood cartoons.

Like every other character archetype, goth girls have their stereotypical set of qualities. So then what exactly is it that makes them so unique amongst these archetypes? And why, if you were anything like me and a majority of the Gen Zers growing up, did you either aspire to date one or to be one? Let’s let the girls speak for themselves.

One of the earliest encounters I had with goth subculture was with “Scooby Doo” and its introduction of the Hex Girls, a fictitious, pop-rock, gothic girl band. The Hex Girls made their first appearance in 1999, going down as some of the most iconic and beloved figures by “Scooby Doo” fans and cartoon lovers across the globe.1 The band members, consisting of the vampiric Wiccan vocalist, Thorn, who doubles as lead guitarist, the fiery drummer, Dusk, and the talented keyboardist, bassist and backup singer, Luna, form a truly dynamic trio of femme fatales. Altogether these girls prove just how powerful

1 P. Carboni. “If You Loved the Hex Girls Growing Up, You’re Probably Queer Now.” Pride. Feb. 23, 2019. young women, even those struggling with how they fit into society, can be when they stand up for what they believe in. In fact, the Hex Girls have been widely embraced by the queer community for this reason. As zine illustrator Moriah Benton puts it, “They provided many people, but predominantly young femmes, with the first notion that there was an alternative to societal defaults, both in gender presentation and spirituality… They represent so much of what the queer community is about: personal power, found family, the defying of traditional expectations of femininity, and being unabashedly freaky.”2 Not only do the Hex Girls empower women and queer communities, but they use their musical platform to promote environmentalism. Self-describing “eco-goths,” one of the Hex Girls’ greatest hits, “Earth, Wind, Fire and Air,” features brilliant lyrics and boppin’ harmonies which seek to raise awareness for the Earth and spread the Coven’s environmentally-friendly message.3 The Hex Girls taught us that loving and respecting our Mother Earth is not only cool, but admirable — and they rep an underrepresented, matriarchalbased spirituality in the process. Come to think of it, I might owe some of my dabbles with Wicca to this very Coven.

2 “The Hex Girls: How a fictional Scooby-Doo rock band became cult, queer, girl-power icons.” Independent. Oct. 30, 2019. 3 Ibid. Speaking of mystical goths, the “Teen Titans” teen psychic, Raven, was a huge obsession of mine in childhood. Given all the mental and emotional turmoil she had to sort out as a young empath, Raven often kept to herself, preferring the company of solitude to that of other people. Despite her quieter personality, she’s not cowardly or timid and she doesn’t go along with others simply because she’s afraid of speaking up. For a young introvert, it was really important to see another introverted character on TV who wasn’t a shell defined by their shyness, but to see a strong, female protagonist who learns how to be confident in her skin and still enjoys her own company at the end of the day. Of course, there’s also the fact that Raven loves meditation and reading about the occult, drinks herbal teas, makes a killer fashion statement, and uses sarcasm to cope with life that increases her appeal exponentially. Showing an interest in the quoteon-quote weirder elements of life is something that we’ve seen in every goth gal so far, and Sam from “Danny Phantom” is no exception. But in this case, Sam’s fascination for the supernatural is actually what drives the show. First aired in 2004, “Danny Phantom” revolves around Danny’s ghost hunting night job.4 Who’s the one who convinces him to pick up on the ghost hunting business in the first

4 “Danny Phantom.” IMDb. 2021.

place? None other than his gothic best friend, Sam. In addition to her netherworldly passions, Sam is an outspoken vegetarian who advocates for animal rights, recycling, and all things environmentalism. Although Sam and Danny entertain feelings for each other, Sam is tough, confident in her views, and offers qualities that actually serve to further the plot and go beyond the traditional confinement of the love interest.

It’s always exciting to see a strong, well-written, leading female who has wants and interests of her own. Perhaps, then, it’s no coincidence that heroines like Raven and Sam just happen to identify more with the gothic side of life, always opting to go against the grain. At the end of the day, it’s these unique qualities and quirks that make characters interesting and show us that our own idiosyncrasies and oddities are not only acceptable, but loveable. And I’d say it’s goth girls who embody “quirkiness” more than anyone else in the realm of cartoons and, often, in the arts. The television of our youth was littered with a range of bizarre and experimental characters. Even so, from older animated classics like “Scooby Doo” to more recent takes like Marceline the Vampire Queen in “Adventure Time,” there’s an apparent character type that sticks out: the mysterious, often unpredictable, alluring goth girl, who just so happens to win the heart of the audience time and time again. As many have speculated, goth girls in the media have been a massive inspiration for contemporary society as well, including the popular E-look, and our generation’s willingness to break from traditional norms and to be more confident in our styles and ourselves. One article exploring the ways that goth characters in cartoons influenced newer generations puts it this way: “These characters, each meant to act as unlikely protagonists and role models for the young audience, have two important traits in common: a gothic aesthetic with an uninterested exterior and a secret passion for supporting the people and causes they believe in.”5 This eccentric, nonconformist group of goth gals are responsible for inspiring our generation to be true to ourselves even when it’s different from what others expect or it goes against the traditional, an especially important message for young girls and others of lesser represented identities to hear.

The goth girl: she’s inclined toward the darker things, she’s moody, she’s stylish, and she prefers to do her own thing rather than go with the flow. She’s the quintessential “not like other girls” girl, and that is precisely why we love her and why we need to see more of her in the arts.■

5 A. Soller. “Gen Z is going goth and it might be because of our cartoons.” Michigan Daily. March 16, 2020.