SNAGGLEPUSS, STEWIE GRIFFIN, PEPPERMINT PATTY, VANITY SMURF AND OTHERS BATTLE IT OUT IN LOGO TV'S "GAYEST CARTOON CHARACTER OF ALL TIME" TOURNAMENT First Round of March Madness, Bracket-Style Voting Opens Today on NewNowNext.com

Winner To Be Crowned On-Air Monday, April 7 During "RuPaul's Drag Race"

NEW YORK, NY - March 19, 2014 - In the only non-sports bracket throw down you should care about this March Madness season, Logo TV, Viacom's television, digital and social brand inspired by the LGBT community, is enlisting fans to take part in the biggest (and possibly queerest) animated royalty showdown this side of Bikini Bottom, where one victor will reign supreme and be crowned the "Gayest Cartoon Character of All Time."

Featuring some out-and-proud toons ("South Park's" Big Gay Al), some who've definitely made you wonder over the years (like "Scooby Doo's" Velma or "Peanut's" Peppermint Patty) as well as some that defy all explanation (can a rabbit, lion or a smurf be gay?) the field represents an eclectic mix of current and classic cartoon characters. Beginning today, fans can go to NewNowNext.com and TheBackLot.com to vote in a daily bracket face-off. The winner will be announced on-air as Logo will break into "RuPaul's Drag Race" on April 7 for a not-to-be-missed acceptance speech.

After an intense and fan-fueled battle for nominations by the readers of TheBacklot.com and NewNowNext.com, the initial field was whittled down to 32 contenders who'll compete in a traditional bracket-style competition with head-to-head fan voting battles until the gayest cartoon character is determined. On-air interstitials hosted by Logo TV's Ryan Brockington ("NewNowNext Minute"), standup comedian Matteo Lane and Jason Carter ("RuPaul's Drag Race" Pit Crew) will keep everyone up to date throughout the tournament. It's up to fans to keep voting their favorites through to the next round and spread the word via the official Twitter hashtag #GayestCartoon.

The 16 "Gayest Cartoon Character" Brackets:

Division 1 (top left side of brackets)

· Stewie Griffin (Family Guy) v. Squidward (Spongebob Squarepants)

· Jigglypuff (Pokemon) v. Scar (The Lion King)

· Mr. Garrison & Mr. Slave (South Park) v. Race Bannon & Dr. Quest (Jonny Quest)

· Daria (Daria) v. Ray Gillette (Archer)

Division 2 (top right side of brackets)

· Roger (American Dad) v. Captain Planet (Captain Planet)

· Ambiguously Gay Duo (SNL) v. Peppermint Patty and Marcie (Peanuts)

· Bugs Bunny (Looney Tunes) v. Gaston (Beauty and the Beast)

· Vanity Smurf (the Smurfs) v. Pizzazz (Jem and the Holograms)

Division 3 (bottom left side of brackets)

· Big Gay Al (South Park) v. Jafar (Aladdin)

· Elsa (Frozen) v. Robin (Super Friends)

· Wayland Smithers (The Simpsons) v. Chozen (Chozen)

· Velma (Scooby-Doo) v. Snagglepuss (Hanna-Barbara)

Division 4 (bottom left side of brackets)

· Xandir (Drawn Together) v. Buttercup (Powerpuff Girls)

· Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune (Sailor Moon) v Ren & Stimpy (Ren & Stimpy)

· Betty Deville (Rugrats) v Genie (Aladdin)

· He-Man/Prince Adam (He-Man) v. Him (the Powerpuff Girls) ABOUT LOGO

Logo TV is a leading entertainment brand inspired by the LGBT community and reflects the creative class across television, digital and social platforms. Logo features one-of-a-kind personalities, shows, specials, and unique stories. Logo is part of MTV's network of brands including MTV, MTV2, MTV.com, mtvU, MTV Hits and MTV Jams.