Dwayne was my very dear friend. Yeah, I'm THAT Gregory Wright. You did a really nice job with this show. You really got what Dwayne was trying to do, and he's be thrilled to know how much you liked Damage Control and Icon. He's be happy that you GOT what we were trying to do on Deathlok...not everybody did. I want to give you a couple corrections. Dwayne did not come up with Milestone, that was Denys Cowan and Michael Davis, they went to Dwayne and they'll be the first to credit Dwayne with taking their initial idea and making it way better. Also, Static was co-created with Michael and Denys. As for the COLOR used at Milestone, the dark and muddy color was more of a result of the poorer quality of scanners and printing processes at the time. The actual colors, if you'd have seen them were much less saturated.
Gregory Wright - I still remember your Creator Profile image in the 80s Marvel Comics. Dwaynes too. 80s Marvel comics will always be my favorite. Excelsior!
Thank you for the corrections. And thank you for your contributions. I really enjoyed a great deal of Dwayne's work and it warrants a second and third read through to really understand what was being told. It was always entertaining and it's a treat when a story has deeper underlying meanings.
dunno if anyone gives a damn but if you are bored like me atm then you can watch pretty much all of the new movies and series on instaflixxer. Been watching with my girlfriend for the last months =)
Some corrections are worth mentioning. Milestone was originally conceived by Michael Davis and Denys Cowan and they then brought Dwayne McDuffie in. Additionally, Michael Davis should be noted as the co-creator of Static. I mispronounced WEB Dubois’ last name. While I’ve read some of his work, I guess I’ve never heard anyone else discuss it. My apologies.
Man, your videos are amazing. Always a pleasure to watch. Stay healty, we are all a little bit stressed in this difficult days. A big shout-out from Argentina
While the apology is definitely appreciated, it really didn't need the justification. There's literally a video just 4 months old that pronounces his name correctly.
There are some encounters that encouraged my efforts to make my own comic, but one of the most influential was when I met McDuffie at a convention. The man was kind and supportive, looking at my work and complimenting it. Sadly, this was only a few months before he passed away. I was deeply saddened by his absence. We were enriched by his presence but diminished by his loss. We all gained so much from his viewpoints and his effort to make the world a better place.
Yeah it’s actually kind of an interesting story McDuffie’s was a married man when he met Key’s mother who came from a pretty conservative home. She was going through a rebellious streak. They had an affair. She got pregnant and key was put up for adoption. Tragically key only found out about McDuffie after McDuffie’s death.
That’s crazy because the whole time I was thinking Dwayne & Key were similar in terms of how they wanted black representation as well as both being highly intelligent black creators
Icon was such an amazing book because it illustrated that Black people are not monolithic in our political and social views. The conversations between Icon and Raquel mirrored those I had with my own family members but that I never saw in any media back then. So thoughtful and relevant even to this day. Thank you for doing this Chris!
I honestly thought for the longest time that Green Lantern had always been a black character, because of the JLA show. And John Stewart will always be my favorite Lantern, for that. I'm honestly pretty ashamed I didn't know about this man until today.
Frankly, I've always found Hal the most boring Lantern. Guy is a redeemable scumbag-jackass, John's the disciplined ex-military man who's one of the more "professional" super heroes, and Kyle's the artsy kid in way over his head. To me, those are all more interesting than Hal "Tom Cruise from Top Gun" Jordan.
I'd say my favorite Green Lantern is a tie between Hal Jordan and John Stewart because they're the ones I've had the most exposure to thanks to Geoff Johns and Scott Snyder's respective Justice League runs using each of them.
@@smashmaster521 There is no contraction there. Liking or disliking a character is a seperate action from finding a character boring. I don't like Guy in most of the material I've seen, quite the douche, but he was not boring as a character. Seeing Batman one punch knock him down? Highly amazing. Seeing Hal do the same to Batman on GL Rebirth? Boring af, the only engagement it gives me is hate Ge-OFF Johns' "writing" even more and hate even more the fact people still consider him an actual writer and not a cheap fanboy hack.
I went up to the milestone office in the mid 90s. I was trying to figure out how to be a comic book penciler and Dwayne actually took the time to have a brief conversation with me in the hallway. I was terrible. I never became a comic book penciler ,but I became a character in a Superman cartoon. I never got a chance to thank him.
The thing I missed about Dwayne McDuffie is he was a fixture on most of the comic book and animation message boards. I even talked to him one time via Instant Messenger. I think in the age of social media he would've excelled and enjoyed it! #RIP
Dwayne McDuffie really shaped my childhood. I caught all of the show's he made, especially static Shock and justice league unlimited. I am also pursuing physics so his interest in the subject endears him to me so much. I read all I could on Dwayne as an individual and nearly cried when I first learned of his death. I always felt so represented by Static and the machinations of McDuffie's mind, even in the times when I didn't think this representation mattered much. He'll always have a special place in my life.
There's not nearly enough discussion about the Static Shock television series, so I'm curious what episodes stand out as the cream of the crop for a big fan like yourself?
@@Deoxys911 I'm not the original poster of this comment like you asked but a big episode that hit me as a kid and one I still love today is "Flashback". Despite growing up with a mother and father it felt and still feels so real to see the pain Virgil goes through in the episode, definitely my favourite in the series.
@@Deoxys911 the first episode, the episode Junior (covered a main villain and the consequences of greed ), Sons of the Father's (tackled racism), The New Kid(Virgil is accepted into a prestigious STEM school and meets his love interest, Daisy), Frozen Out (deals with poverty and the holiday season), Consequences (Virgil must learn to control his powers and anger after Daisy is hurt by his hubris in battle), Jimmy (covered gun violence), Static in Africa, and all the episodes that crossed over with Justice League and Batman were awesome. These are but a few examples. The show also covered how cops interact with the black community (Pop's Girlfriend is the episode) and they don't shy away from showing a church (not personally a fan but this is very prominent in our community) or issues like poverty and orphanage. They even covered music plagiarism which was a hot topic in the early 2000s with the advent of pirating music from the late 90s. I was a young kid when this show aired but I understood what was going on and enjoy it even today. It's as classic to me as Spiderman. The show did all that while not actually seeming like an after school special besides the gun one which was designed that way. The show was funny, action packed and was a real super hero show. There are episodes that deal with pure super hero themes like Toys in the Hood (Static helps Superman fight Toyman) and Now You See Him (involves a time stopping villain). There's a bit of everything in this show. They have sad moments like the other commenter mentioned where Virgil goes back in time to try and save his mother from dying. The show was able to be deep and complex and yet fun and light hearted. One of my favorites!
As an aspiring comic writer who owes a lot to Milestone and McDuffie, I'm so happy that you tackled Dwayne. I grew up with Static, his episodes of JLU were some of my favorites. Thank you for talking about one of my idols.
Thank you Chris! I know who Dwayne McDuffie is, but I didn't "know" him. I had no idea he had his hand in so much comic entertainment across the board. I loved Damage Control as a kid. Very informative.
What I loved as a kid about the static shock cartoon. Was that Virgil was at the end of the day; just a sweet kid that Wanted to help people. His mom was a paramedic and died on duty while trying to save people during a riot leaving her beloved husband and very young son and daughter without a mother. His father however did everything in his power to raise his children with love and compassion. He's even a social worker in the tv series and runs a youth community center. Virgil, unlike say batman or Spiderman who you could attribute their sense of duty from guilt. Found his sense of duty and drive to become a hero simply because its the right thing to do. The show was also not afraid to tackle social problems that are too big or complicated to solve with beating up a "bad guy" . The racism episode and school shooting episode are handled very maturely and show virgil as unable to solve these social issues as static. Simply put, there are underlying issues that lead to these events or situations that static shock simply can't solve on his own as a superhero. Overall static was a hero that shaped how I look at life and what I personally find to be heroic traits in a person.
fad23 Growing up in the UK I loved hand painted art. If you can, find a page of Marvel US Transformers art, then compare it to Marvel UK Transformers are from circa 1986-1988, fantastic difference, like night and day.
First Milestone book I picked up back when they were first coming out had been HARDWARE. The cover just captivated me. The story? It still has one of my favorite panel sequences of all time with a paraphrasing of Maya Angelou's "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings."
@@nicholasdickens2801While the UK TF colouring was still superior from '87 onwards, it definitely lost something when they simplified the rendering/printing process, I remember the letters page mentioning it was a better technique or something, aka cheaper
Dwayne McDuffie spoke to so many issues that are still very much relevant today. If I had faith in DC to make it a good film, a Static movie would be generation defining.
McDuffie had a great talent for making the DC heroes true to themselves on screen, and that's harder than it sounds. Look at how many DC and Marvel shows fail to capture the characters properly. Probably most.
Excellent excellent EXCELLENT video. Dwayne was an amazing talent so covering him was a wonderful idea regardless, but as you said this is an extremely relevant time to spotlight Black creators in comics and the influence of their work on comics and popular culture. Especially Dwayne who was enormously important to black readers of comics, telling stories about the black experience that so few people did at the time or even from a black point of view. I don't know a single kid in my neighborhood who didn't grow up glued to the TV for every Static Shock episode. That pitch about the black kids on skateboards was savage. Fantastic and important video to do during this time so I salute you for that.
I've watched decent amount of Justice League too! probably that's my introduction to DC characters, and I realized that John Stewart's background was way more established than others.... I know Batman and Superman had previous cartoons and Hawkgirl was supposed to be a part of big twist but compared to Wonder Woman, John's background with hometown, his friend in the military who became Metamorpho.....John's story felt personal and very real, im sure Dwayne had helped created that aspect (and maybe John's comedic interaction with Flash)
I will always remember the episode where John has a nightmare where he goes back to his hometown and can't understand anyone and everyone's afraid of him. That fear that leaving made him into someone nobody would recognize, that he had assimilated and betrayed his home really hit home with me as someone who has gone back to somewhere I spent years and nobody remembered me, even my old friends, the buildings and people were the same but I wasnt
@@HovektheArtist oh yeah episode with Dr Destiny! it's cool that Justice League cartoon had lots of moments where characters/heroes think about their background too, like how Diana grew up amongst Amazon and now living amongst regular people, Martian Manhunter being this lonely alien and sole survivor of the race (alongside with Superman), Hawkgirl being the only Thanagarian (and a secret spy), Flash being this grounded hero who's friendly with people in Central City, John being black and was in military..... I really appreciate that sort of complexity, not just heroes kicking ass and banters
Dwayne McDuffie was what comic books need today. Modern Marvel and DC attempts to address race and gender issues have been fumbling at best, insulting at worst. He left us when we needed people like him in the industry the most.
Highly recommend Justice League but ESPECIALLY Justice League Unlimited (It's a continuation of Justice League's story though, so you have to watch both). The finale of JLU is amazing, Iove how they handled Luthor, every scene with The Question, how they handled the multiple Hawkman/Hawkgirl origins from the comics, that one episode where Luthor takes over Flash's body, so much cool stuff. Also on the topic of John Stewart, he's really great as a straight man and he gets a lot of attention. It makes a lot of sense that Mcduffie was on the team when you look at John cause he just has so much care put into him and I really appreciated that as a black kid since 9 times out of 10 the black dude is just....the side guy. Like even when they make the black guy cool he's just kinda......there. It's hard to explain, but John felt really integral and his relationships with the other characters felt real.
Awesome stuff Chris. Thank you for using your platform in such a thoughtful way. I love that you haven't just made a statement but have actually *done the thing*, using your knowledge to promote a really interesting creator of colour, whom I'd never heard of but sounds excellent. Love the concept of Damage Control, and have often asked myself the question it's premise answers!
Thank you so much for this very thoughtful and heartfelt tribute. I got to know Dwayne during his time on Justice League animated when I worked at a comic shop in Sherman Oaks. I can’t say I had read a lot of his stuff then but he was one of the most honest, hilarious, direct people or pros I got to talk to every week. He would talk about any comic and any topic and would hang around shooting the shit with no ego or pretense. I really miss talking with him. He died way way too soon.
This is interesting. RUclips recommends me to watch comictropes and I'm gladly entertained and educated over 5+ of your works, even thought I am blind about western comics. Superheroes come to my country in form of cartoon and movies, while the only western comics I acquired are darkhorse's aliens. You did a good work to give explanations to people outside of the tropes. :)
I'm grew up in a pretty crappy neighborhood and all i can say about the idea of having lighting powers is that light is faster than bullets and if you ever had trouble keeping on the electricity it comes in handy too lol
McDuffie is an amazing example of how to include race in a comic without coming off as pandering or pushing a forced narritive. I loved static shock when growing up and black green lantern will always be the best green lantern
🤦🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️ he did push a narrative was black and other minority existed and have a voice. Also Static name was never Static Shock that was the cartoon. In the comics he mainly fought corrupt police and villians.
Jerel Boza Read the key-words in his sentence. He said that he wasn’t pushing a FORCED narrative. He also could be saying that he enjoyed the show Static Shock.
Tell that to everyone that was bitching when John Stewart first appeared, he didn't have it as bad as Kyle, but the same "controversy" as we see every time someone dares challenge the status quo, still was very much a thing.
@@rell127 it's hard to find any media that doesn't push some kind of narrative. When minority voices are the center of the media then you'll narratives centered around that experience.
Thank you for talking about Dwayne McDuffie! I remember way back at a small con when he was there promoting Milestone with the creator of Brotherman man. Back then, he was just Static referred to as static and not Static Shock; Dwayne also told me he would strive to make sure African Americans were well-represented in comics and wanted to make a name for them! I was so happy to see him on the writing staff with Paul Dini and Bruce Timm, as well as him helping to shape and mold a lot of great cartoons over the years! It means a lot to me that see him covered by a favorite comic book RUclipsr like yourself! Thank you
Thank you for making the corrections at the top of this thread. I hadn’t seen the video until yesterday - and then hadn’t looked at the comments until now. I had been preparing to note the pronunciation of W.E.B. Du Bois and the pioneering work of Michael Davis and Denys Cowan. So I’m delighted to see you had already posted the corrections early in the thread. Mr. McDuffie was one of the very, very best, and his loss was heartbreaking. As a follow-up, I’d encourage you to take a look at the stunning work Michael Davis has done in producing comics, mentoring talent, and spreading vital information on the comics field. Davis’ involvement in co-creation of Static has never been properly addressed. Talk about unsung heroes!
Another week, another brilliant Comic Tropes episode! Man, Chris... you've come so far from the "let's count the tropes" days! You have and continue to create a huge body of excellent work on topics that need discussing. Not sure if the economics of RUclips are going to allow you to continue producing this level of work, but if there is any justice in the world you'll have a long and storied career. Bravo.
Thank you for this, man. From a black person who's always wanted to break into comics, but settled on just being a writer instead. Dwayne was an inspiration of a person that I could never live up to. Gone way too soon, tbh.
I ran into him at a MoMA Gallery showing of super hero costumes in 2009, I recalled his voice because of the DVD commentary on animated films. And he was there talking about Wonder Woman's costume and how they didn't take care of it. I was too shy to say how much I apprecated him, he passed 2 years later. BTW, 1989 Batman's suit has spray painted nikey, the christain bale suit looks like chain mail by the side of bvelvet cape and the Ironman suit were there. It was cool hearing him geek out over the costumes.
I have watched his material from static shock snd ben 10 to the justice league and i can definitely say. That whenever there was an episode he was writing you could tell it was his because the characters were experiencing real problems. And different relationships. And their was a mixture of heart and grit to thise stories that can not be replicated.and we are all poorer. Now that he's gone. This was great vid chris .
DuBois (who was a socialist) quotes were something I never expected to find in an episode... but damn if I'm not pleasantly surprised. RIP Mr. McDuffie, every day without him is felt deeply.
I Watched Ben 10 growing up it was apart of my childhood and the stories where pretty good he wrote some good arcs thanks for covering more of his work another good video R.I.P Dwayne McDuffie
2:10 Ayy! It's Bob Budiansky! He wrote all the profiles for the original 1984 Transformers characters, created the setting, and wrote/edited the first 55 issues of the original Marvel TF comic. Like I needed another reason to like this guy.
I legit had no idea Dwayne passed away. RIP. In Icon Augustus Freeman looked and acted like my grammar school gym teacher. He was a personal hero of mine, and a great mentor. After he passed away I discovered the Icon trade and felt like he was there in the book. Like he WAS Icon.
I must've watched this episode like 50 times since I seen it on RUclips. I'm learning, watching and taking mental notes on Dwayne McDuffie while watching this, truly inspirational.
I was always in awe of static shock, he was and still is one of my favorite characters, when I heard that DC was bringing back the milestone universe it was something I was extremely happy about. Static was a character I really looked up to as a kid, I’m very happy to see that Dwayne McDuffy got a coverage
Ashamed to say I had never heard of Dwayne McDuffie, nor his work. He had some great ideas! Finding out he passed away so young was a real punch to the gut, I hope besides just paying homage to his work, creators will choose to follow in his footsteps and make inclusivity and diversity a part of their work. Thank you Chris for yet another informative piece. Loved it.
Why do you mean by hoping more creators put diversity and inclusivity in their own work? How about interesting characters no matter race, creed or sexual orientation for all to enjoy 🤔
I’ve only recently found your channel but I really love how empathetic and passionate you are about the things you’re talking about. As someone who grew up with Ben Ten and Ben Ten Omniverse, I can tell you that these shows really shaped a lot of people’s childhoods. They were unique, wacky and had a lot of heart. I can confirm today that there’s still a loyal fan base for the franchise, and I think that was in part because of the perspective and personality McDuffie (hope I spelled that right) gave to the show. I’m sorry to see this man had to leave us so soon.
The fact that this video hasnt even been up 20 minutes yet, by the time that I'm writing this...and it already has 4 Dislikes...is an issue. Thankyou for this video
Some people just have no taste. That’s their problem. Now they do that because they’re scared. Scared is good. Ultimately people who dislike things deep down are scared, ashamed because they know they’re wrong.
@@alexpaleale No it's not they are racist who don't want to acknowledge they are racist. Hell the diversity they do like is the concept of black and brown characters they seem safe or written. Hell I seen Yellow Flash attack the power ranger comics and the movies because of diversity. I have yet to see any comic-gater attack a book with a straight white male.
I watched a few of mark duffies shows as a kid, and now I’m older and have read a few of his books. It’s pretty amazing to think that he was such an influential man. I never thought he was so popular.
This has truly become one of my favorite channels on RUclips. You produce these features intelligently, and it's clear that you have a deep love for comics, and approach each subject with that love clearly exhibited. Thanks for your hard work.
Just want to congratulate you sir absolute legend. Also you are the company you keep and this has to be one of the most positive comments feed out there. All the way from a wet and windy England.
Wonderful episode Chris, thank you for honoring Dwayne. His work resonates and it's sad to imagine where he could've gone if he hadn't left us too soon. Thanks Dwayne.
Dwayne McDuffie could have been the DCEU's "Kevin Feige". His JLU work distills & realizes everything the core DC universe can be. The characterizations & interplay foretell the Marvel formula. LOVED Damage Control. Such a brilliant series. Way ahead of it's time.
I loved the Static Shock cartoon as a kid. One of the moments that still sticks with me is an episode where Static goes to Africa and is so excited to be around people who look like him. He even called his friend Ritchie to ask "is this what you feel like all the time?" That was a real eye opener for me as a kid.
If you didnt watch Justice League, one of his great contributions was elevating Vixen from her C-List status to a more mainstream status. And he wrote her as a symbol of beauty the way Lois Lane and Wonder Woman were portrayed. I dont think you get Vixen in the Arrowverse and even joining the modern JLA in the comics without McDuffie’s remixing of Vixen.
Wow. I knew he worked on the Milestone stuff and the Justice League Animated series but I never knew how much work he did in the industry. I'm really sad he wasn't with us longer. Great video man.
I really appreciate you discussing McDuffie’s work. I had never heard of him and am now excited to look for his work the next time I go out. You’re creating excellent content and I truly appreciate every single video you make. Many many thanks
RIP Dwayne, and thanks for the wonderful work you did edit: oh, his DCAU work was completely amazing...& I haven't ever been a big DC guy, but it was terrific
Thank you! Another quality video. I remember really enjoying both Damage Control and Deathlok when I was a kid, but at the time I didn't really think about who the writer was. Now I feel sad that we can't get more Dwayne McDuffie comics.
I’ve not read mainstream comics in a heck of a long time, but I loved the great work about comics Dwayne McDuffie was fantastic, a great writer and I’m glad I was reading his comics when I was reading comics. I loved his style and his fantastic reimagining Deathlok back in 1990. Rest in Peace Dwayne.
The color problems came from RGB to CYMK conversion. In the early days for desktop color, the colorists really didn't know there were certain RGB colors that didn't convert well.
I have so much love for his short run on FF. You could tell page after page that this was a man that loved the book, and had a million ideas to work into it.
I used to chat with him on his forum. "Maestro" always replied in brief, perfect sentences that went right to the point and were often sarcastic, wise funny at the same time. I watched and read all of his Justice League stuff. A couple of things that you didn't mention, besides his knack for writing each person with a distinctive voice and personality, he was also pretty good with human relationships. Also, he really understood physics and that shows in his writing about super powers.
Possibly one of my favourite episodes Chris...I remember the comic boom in the 90s. Malibu, image, valiant etc. But milestone comics were so different. Style of art, the colours etc. Even though Dwayne passed away 9 years ago, he left a massive footprint.
The man created one of my favorite superheroes, Static. It’s a shame he left so soon, but the mans legacy for sure left a huge print in the world of comics and super heroes, a legacy that will live on like Icon. Amazing episode, one of my favorites
You owe it to yourself to watch Justice League, Justice League Unlimited (ESPECIALLY), and Ben 10 Alien Force and Ultimate Alien. Dwayne's cartoons essentially raised me in my childhood lol. And they're phenomenal, highly ambitious, and very well done. The Cadmus arc is the best thing I've seen in a cartoon ever
Also kinda sounds like Todd borrowed the central drama of Spawn from that run (spawn also is put in another body and can no longer see his family who think he is dead).
I love that you did an episode on Dwayne. He really meant a lot to my young comics self. Static was one of my favorite WB episodes. Even as a random white guy.
This was pretty good. I really appreciate the time and care you put into this. I'm familiar with some of the more popular works but didn't know his name or story until a few months ago.
It’s honestly hard to think of a writer in the industry more unconditionally loved. I can’t recall anyone having a beef with him and comic writers sure have a lot a beef with each other sometimes. Left us far too soon. But man, he left us a lot.
I loved McDuffie's work on JLA/JLU, and realized he was also responsible for Static, which I liked too. I was just beginning to really dive into the Milestone archive when he died. I feel he really left a massive hole in the industry when he died, and it still pains me to remember he died so young. Thanks for another amazing episode.
Wow, this was very enlightening. I've heard the name Dwayne McDuffie before but didn't realize how influential he was. He was a really amazing guy. Milestone comics were incredible, though I actually most read Blood Syndicate, but I very much remember Icon and Static. Along with Rocket, those characters are still very relevant in other DC media. McDuffie was truly and incredible influence on superheroes, both in comics and other media. Oh, and thanks for sharing my amazing Infotron that I made...but don't tell big Infrotron that I had to take lil Infotron's arms back cause I needed them in my workshop....
Great episode Chris. McDuffie did a lot in comics for a Black man, tried, and did succeed in many areas. When talking amongst other African Americans we talk about the biggest problem with Black heroes. Lack of Black writers, lack of grounded characters, stereo typing etc. The biggest one was there was not a Black hero as strong as the strongest White hero was. Someone mentioned Icon. Comic writer/martial arts journalist C.M. Griffin stated that Icon could not be counted because in fact he is not an African. He’s an alien disguised as one. (At the time Monica Rambeau had been depowered and not in the comics.) The past twenty years the Martian Manhunter has been portrayed by a Black actor on TV or animated. The character is not a POC or a White man (his original human form in the comics) he’s a Martian. The same thing applies to Icon. It was well intentioned but Icon is not a Black superhero. Static issue 5 had a controversial cover problem in New York City. Where in 1991 there were riots in Brooklyn, NY between the Hasidic and Black communities. Black Lightning originally had no real power. He was just a Decathlon athlete. He got the powers later. Black Vulcan has had his powers longer.
Static Shock got me to step inside a comic book store and pick up my first trade. It wasn't the best read, but it got me into the medium and has been a hobby since my teen years. Safe to say I owe Dwayne McDuffie something as well.
Icon was bad ass, I remember seeing the first ads in my comicbooks. Oh man, that little bit about key not getting to meet his brother hurt my heart man. I know exactly what’s that’s like.
I grew up watching a lot of the animated programming he wrote for. I rewatched Justice League a couple years ago and I was surprised to see his name in the credits. I didn't know he wrote for animation as well as comics.
I first learned about the impact Dwayne had on my life and his work on the media I had been absorbing like a sponge when I saw an "In Memoriam" section at the end of animated film "Justice League: Doom". He was a genius individual, and I wish we could have seen him share more of that genius.
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
Dwayne was my very dear friend. Yeah, I'm THAT Gregory Wright. You did a really nice job with this show. You really got what Dwayne was trying to do, and he's be thrilled to know how much you liked Damage Control and Icon. He's be happy that you GOT what we were trying to do on Deathlok...not everybody did. I want to give you a couple corrections. Dwayne did not come up with Milestone, that was Denys Cowan and Michael Davis, they went to Dwayne and they'll be the first to credit Dwayne with taking their initial idea and making it way better. Also, Static was co-created with Michael and Denys. As for the COLOR used at Milestone, the dark and muddy color was more of a result of the poorer quality of scanners and printing processes at the time. The actual colors, if you'd have seen them were much less saturated.
Gregory Wright - I still remember your Creator Profile image in the 80s Marvel Comics. Dwaynes too. 80s Marvel comics will always be my favorite. Excelsior!
Thank you for the corrections. And thank you for your contributions. I really enjoyed a great deal of Dwayne's work and it warrants a second and third read through to really understand what was being told. It was always entertaining and it's a treat when a story has deeper underlying meanings.
Thank you for Deathlok. He is my favorite!
Is it true they were planning on making a live action static film with Johnathan Taylor Thomas?
dunno if anyone gives a damn but if you are bored like me atm then you can watch pretty much all of the new movies and series on instaflixxer. Been watching with my girlfriend for the last months =)
Dwayne McDuffie was gone way too soon an absolute giant in the industry.
For real
Rest In Peace son
Dшayne McDuffie, Kobe Gooding Jr & Boi George Floid.. Gone 2 soon son
Some corrections are worth mentioning. Milestone was originally conceived by Michael Davis and Denys Cowan and they then brought Dwayne McDuffie in. Additionally, Michael Davis should be noted as the co-creator of Static. I mispronounced WEB Dubois’ last name. While I’ve read some of his work, I guess I’ve never heard anyone else discuss it. My apologies.
Thank you for doing this, Milestone is my inspiration. Deeply appreciate this Chris, big fan keep up the amazing commentary
Man, your videos are amazing. Always a pleasure to watch. Stay healty, we are all a little bit stressed in this difficult days. A big shout-out from Argentina
Makes sense. I only learned how to pronounce his name a few months ago watching some stuff about Oscar Micheaux on Criterion Channel.
I miss pronounced it for years til I saw a clip of him speaking
While the apology is definitely appreciated, it really didn't need the justification. There's literally a video just 4 months old that pronounces his name correctly.
There are some encounters that encouraged my efforts to make my own comic, but one of the most influential was when I met McDuffie at a convention. The man was kind and supportive, looking at my work and complimenting it. Sadly, this was only a few months before he passed away. I was deeply saddened by his absence. We were enriched by his presence but diminished by his loss. We all gained so much from his viewpoints and his effort to make the world a better place.
RIP Dшayne McDuffie, Kobe Gooding Jr & Boi George Floid.. Gone 2 soon son
Incredible, I'm a huge Key&Peele fan so I'm completely astonished to learn that Key and McDuffie were half-brothers!
Yeah it’s actually kind of an interesting story McDuffie’s was a married man when he met Key’s mother who came from a pretty conservative home. She was going through a rebellious streak. They had an affair. She got pregnant and key was put up for adoption. Tragically key only found out about McDuffie after McDuffie’s death.
That’s crazy because the whole time I was thinking Dwayne & Key were similar in terms of how they wanted black representation as well as both being highly intelligent black creators
Key & Peele R dhe black Castor & Pollux in dhe same way dhat Beyonce is dhe black Madonna
Wow that's crazy.
Out of Whitlock they would be on bad terms Becus his mom wasn’t happy Dwayne’s dad had other children outside of their marriage
Icon was such an amazing book because it illustrated that Black people are not monolithic in our political and social views. The conversations between Icon and Raquel mirrored those I had with my own family members but that I never saw in any media back then. So thoughtful and relevant even to this day. Thank you for doing this Chris!
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Бy Шarren Ellys, Daяick Яoбeяtson & Яodney Ramos∴
@@MarvelBoi44 wtf lmfao
@@Kriskazam looks like marvelboi deleted his comment what did he say?
I honestly thought for the longest time that Green Lantern had always been a black character, because of the JLA show. And John Stewart will always be my favorite Lantern, for that.
I'm honestly pretty ashamed I didn't know about this man until today.
Honestly I was so confused the first time I saw Hal Jordan
Frankly, I've always found Hal the most boring Lantern. Guy is a redeemable scumbag-jackass, John's the disciplined ex-military man who's one of the more "professional" super heroes, and Kyle's the artsy kid in way over his head. To me, those are all more interesting than Hal "Tom Cruise from Top Gun" Jordan.
@@HollowGolem I'm confused. Do you like Guy Gardner or not? Because the way you described him is a contradiction if I ever saw one.
I'd say my favorite Green Lantern is a tie between Hal Jordan and John Stewart because they're the ones I've had the most exposure to thanks to Geoff Johns and Scott Snyder's respective Justice League runs using each of them.
@@smashmaster521 There is no contraction there. Liking or disliking a character is a seperate action from finding a character boring. I don't like Guy in most of the material I've seen, quite the douche, but he was not boring as a character. Seeing Batman one punch knock him down? Highly amazing. Seeing Hal do the same to Batman on GL Rebirth? Boring af, the only engagement it gives me is hate Ge-OFF Johns' "writing" even more and hate even more the fact people still consider him an actual writer and not a cheap fanboy hack.
There needs to be an omnibus of the milestone comics.
Oh God yes.
How DC hasn't made one is beyond me.
@@neonkenomi320 Mainly legal issues I think nowadays. Which is a shame.
That’d be absolutely incredible I’d buy it
There is a compendium that came out recently. Over a 1000 pages.
I went up to the milestone office in the mid 90s. I was trying to figure out how to be a comic book penciler and Dwayne actually took the time to have a brief conversation with me in the hallway. I was terrible. I never became a comic book penciler ,but I became a character in a Superman cartoon. I never got a chance to thank him.
Why did you give up on being a penciler bro?
Yooo, i recognise your name! you were in that episode about the murderer
I would love to interview you about that my non profit email is
Contact@praiseworthyindustries.org
bill cage 32 yeah that’s me. Not as big in real life. I never spent time in prison either. I think he just liked my name.
Mark Molino every once in a while I try to do it. I always make crap. I’ve decided to try to go digital. Maybe that’ll help
He said he would have wanted kids of all colors dressing up as Static.
@@EricDMMiller
U stupid or just drinking the Kool-aid?
@@TheMrartistman Can't tell if I'm r/woooshing or about to be r/woooshed but..
r/wooosh
@@TheMrartistman I think it was sarcasm.
@@BradLad56 Either way, it's a pretty distasteful statement.
@@elijahdavila3684 Why distasteful?
The thing I missed about Dwayne McDuffie is he was a fixture on most of the comic book and animation message boards. I even talked to him one time via Instant Messenger. I think in the age of social media he would've excelled and enjoyed it! #RIP
Chris, you should be really proud of this episode. Wonderful, wonderful analysis.
Dwayne McDuffie really shaped my childhood. I caught all of the show's he made, especially static Shock and justice league unlimited. I am also pursuing physics so his interest in the subject endears him to me so much. I read all I could on Dwayne as an individual and nearly cried when I first learned of his death. I always felt so represented by Static and the machinations of McDuffie's mind, even in the times when I didn't think this representation mattered much. He'll always have a special place in my life.
There's not nearly enough discussion about the Static Shock television series, so I'm curious what episodes stand out as the cream of the crop for a big fan like yourself?
@@Deoxys911 I'm not the original poster of this comment like you asked but a big episode that hit me as a kid and one I still love today is "Flashback".
Despite growing up with a mother and father it felt and still feels so real to see the pain Virgil goes through in the episode, definitely my favourite in the series.
Hi bekame æ шriter & stoяy editoя αn Jail A∴
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@@Deoxys911 the first episode, the episode Junior (covered a main villain and the consequences of greed ), Sons of the Father's (tackled racism), The New Kid(Virgil is accepted into a prestigious STEM school and meets his love interest, Daisy), Frozen Out (deals with poverty and the holiday season), Consequences (Virgil must learn to control his powers and anger after Daisy is hurt by his hubris in battle), Jimmy (covered gun violence), Static in Africa, and all the episodes that crossed over with Justice League and Batman were awesome.
These are but a few examples. The show also covered how cops interact with the black community (Pop's Girlfriend is the episode) and they don't shy away from showing a church (not personally a fan but this is very prominent in our community) or issues like poverty and orphanage. They even covered music plagiarism which was a hot topic in the early 2000s with the advent of pirating music from the late 90s. I was a young kid when this show aired but I understood what was going on and enjoy it even today. It's as classic to me as Spiderman. The show did all that while not actually seeming like an after school special besides the gun one which was designed that way. The show was funny, action packed and was a real super hero show. There are episodes that deal with pure super hero themes like Toys in the Hood (Static helps Superman fight Toyman) and Now You See Him (involves a time stopping villain).
There's a bit of everything in this show. They have sad moments like the other commenter mentioned where Virgil goes back in time to try and save his mother from dying. The show was able to be deep and complex and yet fun and light hearted. One of my favorites!
As an aspiring comic writer who owes a lot to Milestone and McDuffie, I'm so happy that you tackled Dwayne. I grew up with Static, his episodes of JLU were some of my favorites. Thank you for talking about one of my idols.
Hi bekame æ шriter & stoяy editoя αn Jail A∴
Hi helpt pušh foяwaяd dhe ajdea 2 uze dhe Бlack Gяeen Lanteяn Djon Steшaяt az æ Korps membeя instead've hæl djordan∴
Same I want to become a comic writer one day.
Thank you Chris! I know who Dwayne McDuffie is, but I didn't "know" him. I had no idea he had his hand in so much comic entertainment across the board. I loved Damage Control as a kid. Very informative.
What I loved as a kid about the static shock cartoon. Was that Virgil was at the end of the day; just a sweet kid that Wanted to help people.
His mom was a paramedic and died on duty while trying to save people during a riot leaving her beloved husband and very young son and daughter without a mother.
His father however did everything in his power to raise his children with love and compassion. He's even a social worker in the tv series and runs a youth community center.
Virgil, unlike say batman or Spiderman who you could attribute their sense of duty from guilt. Found his sense of duty and drive to become a hero simply because its the right thing to do.
The show was also not afraid to tackle social problems that are too big or complicated to solve with beating up a "bad guy" . The racism episode and school shooting episode are handled very maturely and show virgil as unable to solve these social issues as static. Simply put, there are underlying issues that lead to these events or situations that static shock simply can't solve on his own as a superhero.
Overall static was a hero that shaped how I look at life and what I personally find to be heroic traits in a person.
rest in power Dwayne!
RIP Dшayne McDuffie, Kobe Gooding Jr & Boi George Floid.. Gone 2 soon
Milestone also featured entirely hand painted color.
fad23 Growing up in the UK I loved hand painted art. If you can, find a page of Marvel US Transformers art, then compare it to Marvel UK Transformers are from circa 1986-1988, fantastic difference, like night and day.
Beautiful books.
First Milestone book I picked up back when they were first coming out had been HARDWARE.
The cover just captivated me. The story? It still has one of my favorite panel sequences of all time with a paraphrasing of Maya Angelou's "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings."
That explains why the color was so amazing
@@nicholasdickens2801While the UK TF colouring was still superior from '87 onwards, it definitely lost something when they simplified the rendering/printing process, I remember the letters page mentioning it was a better technique or something, aka cheaper
Dwayne McDuffie spoke to so many issues that are still very much relevant today. If I had faith in DC to make it a good film, a Static movie would be generation defining.
McDuffie had a great talent for making the DC heroes true to themselves on screen, and that's harder than it sounds. Look at how many DC and Marvel shows fail to capture the characters properly. Probably most.
Excellent excellent EXCELLENT video. Dwayne was an amazing talent so covering him was a wonderful idea regardless, but as you said this is an extremely relevant time to spotlight Black creators in comics and the influence of their work on comics and popular culture. Especially Dwayne who was enormously important to black readers of comics, telling stories about the black experience that so few people did at the time or even from a black point of view. I don't know a single kid in my neighborhood who didn't grow up glued to the TV for every Static Shock episode. That pitch about the black kids on skateboards was savage. Fantastic and important video to do during this time so I salute you for that.
I've watched decent amount of Justice League too! probably that's my introduction to DC characters, and I realized that John Stewart's background was way more established than others.... I know Batman and Superman had previous cartoons and Hawkgirl was supposed to be a part of big twist but compared to Wonder Woman, John's background with hometown, his friend in the military who became Metamorpho.....John's story felt personal and very real, im sure Dwayne had helped created that aspect (and maybe John's comedic interaction with Flash)
I will always remember the episode where John has a nightmare where he goes back to his hometown and can't understand anyone and everyone's afraid of him. That fear that leaving made him into someone nobody would recognize, that he had assimilated and betrayed his home really hit home with me as someone who has gone back to somewhere I spent years and nobody remembered me, even my old friends, the buildings and people were the same but I wasnt
@@HovektheArtist oh yeah episode with Dr Destiny! it's cool that Justice League cartoon had lots of moments where characters/heroes think about their background too, like how Diana grew up amongst Amazon and now living amongst regular people, Martian Manhunter being this lonely alien and sole survivor of the race (alongside with Superman), Hawkgirl being the only Thanagarian (and a secret spy), Flash being this grounded hero who's friendly with people in Central City, John being black and was in military..... I really appreciate that sort of complexity, not just heroes kicking ass and banters
Dwayne McDuffie was what comic books need today. Modern Marvel and DC attempts to address race and gender issues have been fumbling at best, insulting at worst. He left us when we needed people like him in the industry the most.
Respect to the legend Dwayne McDuffie. Hoping milestone comics become more accessible in the future. Great video, Chris
Highly recommend Justice League but ESPECIALLY Justice League Unlimited (It's a continuation of Justice League's story though, so you have to watch both). The finale of JLU is amazing, Iove how they handled Luthor, every scene with The Question, how they handled the multiple Hawkman/Hawkgirl origins from the comics, that one episode where Luthor takes over Flash's body, so much cool stuff.
Also on the topic of John Stewart, he's really great as a straight man and he gets a lot of attention. It makes a lot of sense that Mcduffie was on the team when you look at John cause he just has so much care put into him and I really appreciated that as a black kid since 9 times out of 10 the black dude is just....the side guy. Like even when they make the black guy cool he's just kinda......there. It's hard to explain, but John felt really integral and his relationships with the other characters felt real.
Awesome stuff Chris. Thank you for using your platform in such a thoughtful way. I love that you haven't just made a statement but have actually *done the thing*, using your knowledge to promote a really interesting creator of colour, whom I'd never heard of but sounds excellent. Love the concept of Damage Control, and have often asked myself the question it's premise answers!
Teared up watching this wonderful tribute. One of the best episodes you've done. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Thank you so much for this very thoughtful and heartfelt tribute. I got to know Dwayne during his time on Justice League animated when I worked at a comic shop in Sherman Oaks. I can’t say I had read a lot of his stuff then but he was one of the most honest, hilarious, direct people or pros I got to talk to every week. He would talk about any comic and any topic and would hang around shooting the shit with no ego or pretense. I really miss talking with him. He died way way too soon.
This is interesting. RUclips recommends me to watch comictropes and I'm gladly entertained and educated over 5+ of your works, even thought I am blind about western comics. Superheroes come to my country in form of cartoon and movies, while the only western comics I acquired are darkhorse's aliens. You did a good work to give explanations to people outside of the tropes. :)
I'm grew up in a pretty crappy neighborhood and all i can say about the idea of having lighting powers is that light is faster than bullets and if you ever had trouble keeping on the electricity it comes in handy too lol
Youre one of my favorite people hands down. Thank you for this. A lot of us blerds needed this.
McDuffie is an amazing example of how to include race in a comic without coming off as pandering or pushing a forced narritive.
I loved static shock when growing up and black green lantern will always be the best green lantern
Static shock was probably my fav cartoon growing up
🤦🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️ he did push a narrative was black and other minority existed and have a voice. Also Static name was never Static Shock that was the cartoon. In the comics he mainly fought corrupt police and villians.
Jerel Boza Read the key-words in his sentence. He said that he wasn’t pushing a FORCED narrative. He also could be saying that he enjoyed the show Static Shock.
Tell that to everyone that was bitching when John Stewart first appeared, he didn't have it as bad as Kyle, but the same "controversy" as we see every time someone dares challenge the status quo, still was very much a thing.
@@rell127 it's hard to find any media that doesn't push some kind of narrative. When minority voices are the center of the media then you'll narratives centered around that experience.
Thank you for talking about Dwayne McDuffie! I remember way back at a small con when he was there promoting Milestone with the creator of Brotherman man. Back then, he was just Static referred to as static and not Static Shock; Dwayne also told me he would strive to make sure African Americans were well-represented in comics and wanted to make a name for them! I was so happy to see him on the writing staff with Paul Dini and Bruce Timm, as well as him helping to shape and mold a lot of great cartoons over the years! It means a lot to me that see him covered by a favorite comic book RUclipsr like yourself! Thank you
He's still just Static, Static Shock was the name of the animated series not the character.
@@Wonder2win new younger fans tell me static shock . I don't argue with them.
Thank you for making the corrections at the top of this thread. I hadn’t seen the video until yesterday - and then hadn’t looked at the comments until now. I had been preparing to note the pronunciation of W.E.B. Du Bois and the pioneering work of Michael Davis and Denys Cowan. So I’m delighted to see you had already posted the corrections early in the thread. Mr. McDuffie was one of the very, very best, and his loss was heartbreaking. As a follow-up, I’d encourage you to take a look at the stunning work Michael Davis has done in producing comics, mentoring talent, and spreading vital information on the comics field. Davis’ involvement in co-creation of Static has never been properly addressed. Talk about unsung heroes!
Another week, another brilliant Comic Tropes episode! Man, Chris... you've come so far from the "let's count the tropes" days! You have and continue to create a huge body of excellent work on topics that need discussing. Not sure if the economics of RUclips are going to allow you to continue producing this level of work, but if there is any justice in the world you'll have a long and storied career. Bravo.
Thank you for this, man. From a black person who's always wanted to break into comics, but settled on just being a writer instead. Dwayne was an inspiration of a person that I could never live up to. Gone way too soon, tbh.
I ran into him at a MoMA Gallery showing of super hero costumes in 2009, I recalled his voice because of the DVD commentary on animated films. And he was there talking about Wonder Woman's costume and how they didn't take care of it. I was too shy to say how much I apprecated him, he passed 2 years later.
BTW, 1989 Batman's suit has spray painted nikey, the christain bale suit looks like chain mail by the side of bvelvet cape and the Ironman suit were there. It was cool hearing him geek out over the costumes.
Great video!!!! I was so worried as I glanced at the comments that there would be trolls but thankfully there were not! Keep up the great work.
I totally want an MCU-canon Parks and Rec style Damage Control show now, with a bunch of heroes making recurring cameos.
Chris, vou could make an episode about Denny O'Neil who unfortunatelly passed away yesterday. He was ahead of his time, a true legend of comics!!
I love love love your show. I think I have repeated this way too many times, but it is always a pleasure to see you upload a new video.
I cried when I watched this. RIP Dwayne McDuffie.
I have watched his material from static shock snd ben 10 to the justice league and i can definitely say. That whenever there was an episode he was writing you could tell it was his because the characters were experiencing real problems. And different relationships. And their was a mixture of heart and grit to thise stories that can not be replicated.and we are all poorer. Now that he's gone. This was great vid chris .
DuBois (who was a socialist) quotes were something I never expected to find in an episode... but damn if I'm not pleasantly surprised.
RIP Mr. McDuffie, every day without him is felt deeply.
The more Milestone comics videos on Yotube, THE BETTER. Thanks Chris for another awesome video. RIP Dwayne McDuffie.
I Watched Ben 10 growing up it was apart of my childhood and the stories where pretty good he wrote some good arcs thanks for covering more of his work another good video R.I.P Dwayne McDuffie
And then Omniverse tried to erase Dwayne McDuffie's contributions to the franchise...and very poorly at that.
@@smashmaster521 thank you for saying that.
2:10 Ayy! It's Bob Budiansky! He wrote all the profiles for the original 1984 Transformers characters, created the setting, and wrote/edited the first 55 issues of the original Marvel TF comic. Like I needed another reason to like this guy.
I legit had no idea Dwayne passed away. RIP.
In Icon Augustus Freeman looked and acted like my grammar school gym teacher. He was a personal hero of mine, and a great mentor. After he passed away I discovered the Icon trade and felt like he was there in the book. Like he WAS Icon.
I must've watched this episode like 50 times since I seen it on RUclips. I'm learning, watching and taking mental notes on Dwayne McDuffie while watching this, truly inspirational.
I was always in awe of static shock, he was and still is one of my favorite characters, when I heard that DC was bringing back the milestone universe it was something I was extremely happy about. Static was a character I really looked up to as a kid, I’m very happy to see that Dwayne McDuffy got a coverage
Ashamed to say I had never heard of Dwayne McDuffie, nor his work. He had some great ideas! Finding out he passed away so young was a real punch to the gut, I hope besides just paying homage to his work, creators will choose to follow in his footsteps and make inclusivity and diversity a part of their work.
Thank you Chris for yet another informative piece. Loved it.
Why do you mean by hoping more creators put diversity and inclusivity in their own work?
How about interesting characters no matter race, creed or sexual orientation for all to enjoy 🤔
Best part of Dwayne McDuffie is that he was a great writer, from the comics I've read by him.
I’ve only recently found your channel but I really love how empathetic and passionate you are about the things you’re talking about. As someone who grew up with Ben Ten and Ben Ten Omniverse, I can tell you that these shows really shaped a lot of people’s childhoods. They were unique, wacky and had a lot of heart. I can confirm today that there’s still a loyal fan base for the franchise, and I think that was in part because of the perspective and personality McDuffie (hope I spelled that right) gave to the show. I’m sorry to see this man had to leave us so soon.
The fact that this video hasnt even been up 20 minutes yet, by the time that I'm writing this...and it already has 4 Dislikes...is an issue. Thankyou for this video
I'd chalk it up to 50% racist and Comics-gaters, and the other half is bots.
Some people just have no taste. That’s their problem. Now they do that because they’re scared. Scared is good. Ultimately people who dislike things deep down are scared, ashamed because they know they’re wrong.
@@qwellen7521 comicsgate stands for diversity and independence. Some people are extreme, but that's true of both sides
Absolutely....haters
But I see now that folks may really be afraid of black people and don't know how to express it
@@alexpaleale No it's not they are racist who don't want to acknowledge they are racist. Hell the diversity they do like is the concept of black and brown characters they seem safe or written. Hell I seen Yellow Flash attack the power ranger comics and the movies because of diversity. I have yet to see any comic-gater attack a book with a straight white male.
I watched a few of mark duffies shows as a kid, and now I’m older and have read a few of his books. It’s pretty amazing to think that he was such an influential man. I never thought he was so popular.
This has truly become one of my favorite channels on RUclips. You produce these features intelligently, and it's clear that you have a deep love for comics, and approach each subject with that love clearly exhibited. Thanks for your hard work.
Just want to congratulate you sir absolute legend. Also you are the company you keep and this has to be one of the most positive comments feed out there. All the way from a wet and windy England.
So glad his voice was heard.
Thanks for a great, timely episode!
I really enjoy your show. Love how you bring up your content with tons of data and a fun pase, very enjoyable
I had the privilege of chatting with Dwayne McDuffie. Super nice guy with a great sense of humor. I still tell a story from that meeting to this day.
Well?
Wonderful episode Chris, thank you for honoring Dwayne. His work resonates and it's sad to imagine where he could've gone if he hadn't left us too soon. Thanks Dwayne.
Dwayne McDuffie could have been the DCEU's "Kevin Feige". His JLU work distills & realizes everything the core DC universe can be. The characterizations & interplay foretell the Marvel formula.
LOVED Damage Control. Such a brilliant series. Way ahead of it's time.
He went to college at age 10 and designed missile guidance systems. His dream was to write F4.
Holly crap, really at age 10? The dude was legit a genius... hope more creators like him pop up in comics
And he got his wish if I'm not mistaken.
Jesus Christ the dude was one latex suit from being a superhero himself
Шhatchoo talкin' 'бout, Шillis??
What kind of crap is this? Age 10, why not before he was born then?
Don't spout lies
I had no idea that he worked on Static Shock, Justice League and Ben 10. I'm proud to say that much of my childhood was shaped by Dwayne McDuffie
I loved the Static Shock cartoon as a kid. One of the moments that still sticks with me is an episode where Static goes to Africa and is so excited to be around people who look like him. He even called his friend Ritchie to ask "is this what you feel like all the time?" That was a real eye opener for me as a kid.
If you didnt watch Justice League, one of his great contributions was elevating Vixen from her C-List status to a more mainstream status. And he wrote her as a symbol of beauty the way Lois Lane and Wonder Woman were portrayed. I dont think you get Vixen in the Arrowverse and even joining the modern JLA in the comics without McDuffie’s remixing of Vixen.
Wow. I knew he worked on the Milestone stuff and the Justice League Animated series but I never knew how much work he did in the industry. I'm really sad he wasn't with us longer. Great video man.
I really appreciate you discussing McDuffie’s work. I had never heard of him and am now excited to look for his work the next time I go out. You’re creating excellent content and I truly appreciate every single video you make. Many many thanks
RIP Dwayne, and thanks for the wonderful work you did
edit: oh, his DCAU work was completely amazing...& I haven't ever been a big DC guy, but it was terrific
4:35 They actually made a Damage Control TV pilot, but it hasn't been made into a full series yet
Man, I remember finding that Deathlok comic (6:46) at some market as a kid, I bought it and absolutely loved it!
Thank you! Another quality video. I remember really enjoying both Damage Control and Deathlok when I was a kid, but at the time I didn't really think about who the writer was. Now I feel sad that we can't get more Dwayne McDuffie comics.
I’ve not read mainstream comics in a heck of a long time, but I loved the great work about comics Dwayne McDuffie was fantastic, a great writer and I’m glad I was reading his comics when I was reading comics. I loved his style and his fantastic reimagining Deathlok back in 1990. Rest in Peace Dwayne.
I loved Damage Control and Deathlok as a kid. Thanks for the spotlight on their creator, I did not know his story.
The color problems came from RGB to CYMK conversion. In the early days for desktop color, the colorists really didn't know there were certain RGB colors that didn't convert well.
I have so much love for his short run on FF. You could tell page after page that this was a man that loved the book, and had a million ideas to work into it.
Another home run! Definitely my favorite comic channel on RUclips!
I used to chat with him on his forum. "Maestro" always replied in brief, perfect sentences that went right to the point and were often sarcastic, wise funny at the same time.
I watched and read all of his Justice League stuff. A couple of things that you didn't mention, besides his knack for writing each person with a distinctive voice and personality, he was also pretty good with human relationships. Also, he really understood physics and that shows in his writing about super powers.
Slight correction, Static aired on Kids WB not Fox Kids
In my area it wb kid's but was on Fox kids
Crazy hunh
Sorry fox channel
Possibly one of my favourite episodes Chris...I remember the comic boom in the 90s. Malibu, image, valiant etc. But milestone comics were so different. Style of art, the colours etc. Even though Dwayne passed away 9 years ago, he left a massive footprint.
The man created one of my favorite superheroes, Static. It’s a shame he left so soon, but the mans legacy for sure left a huge print in the world of comics and super heroes, a legacy that will live on like Icon. Amazing episode, one of my favorites
You owe it to yourself to watch Justice League, Justice League Unlimited (ESPECIALLY), and Ben 10 Alien Force and Ultimate Alien. Dwayne's cartoons essentially raised me in my childhood lol. And they're phenomenal, highly ambitious, and very well done. The Cadmus arc is the best thing I've seen in a cartoon ever
You're brave for putting this video out rn Chris but I'm glad you did. Much respect to you, good job.
P.S. His version of Deathlok definitely informed the one on Agents of SHIELD.
Also kinda sounds like Todd borrowed the central drama of Spawn from that run (spawn also is put in another body and can no longer see his family who think he is dead).
I love that you did an episode on Dwayne. He really meant a lot to my young comics self. Static was one of my favorite WB episodes. Even as a random white guy.
Great video! Dwayne McDuffie deserves to be celebrated. I wish he were still with us.
This was pretty good. I really appreciate the time and care you put into this. I'm familiar with some of the more popular works but didn't know his name or story until a few months ago.
It’s honestly hard to think of a writer in the industry more unconditionally loved. I can’t recall anyone having a beef with him and comic writers sure have a lot a beef with each other sometimes.
Left us far too soon. But man, he left us a lot.
I loved McDuffie's work on JLA/JLU, and realized he was also responsible for Static, which I liked too. I was just beginning to really dive into the Milestone archive when he died. I feel he really left a massive hole in the industry when he died, and it still pains me to remember he died so young. Thanks for another amazing episode.
This was fantastic Chris, thank you. You always drop info I'd never heard and I feel I'm pretty in the comics know. Good timing as well.👊
Wow, this was very enlightening. I've heard the name Dwayne McDuffie before but didn't realize how influential he was. He was a really amazing guy. Milestone comics were incredible, though I actually most read Blood Syndicate, but I very much remember Icon and Static. Along with Rocket, those characters are still very relevant in other DC media. McDuffie was truly and incredible influence on superheroes, both in comics and other media. Oh, and thanks for sharing my amazing Infotron that I made...but don't tell big Infrotron that I had to take lil Infotron's arms back cause I needed them in my workshop....
These are getting better and better. Great job!
Great episode Chris. McDuffie did a lot in comics for a Black man, tried, and did succeed in many areas. When talking amongst other African Americans we talk about the biggest problem with Black heroes. Lack of Black writers, lack of grounded characters, stereo typing etc. The biggest one was there was not a Black hero as strong as the strongest White hero was. Someone mentioned Icon. Comic writer/martial arts journalist C.M. Griffin stated that Icon could not be counted because in fact he is not an African. He’s an alien disguised as one. (At the time Monica Rambeau had been depowered and not in the comics.)
The past twenty years the Martian Manhunter has been portrayed by a Black actor on TV or animated. The character is not a POC or a White man (his original human form in the comics) he’s a Martian. The same thing applies to Icon. It was well intentioned but Icon is not a Black superhero.
Static issue 5 had a controversial cover problem in New York City. Where in 1991 there were riots in Brooklyn, NY between the Hasidic and Black communities.
Black Lightning originally had no real power. He was just a Decathlon athlete. He got the powers later. Black Vulcan has had his powers longer.
Static Shock got me to step inside a comic book store and pick up my first trade. It wasn't the best read, but it got me into the medium and has been a hobby since my teen years. Safe to say I owe Dwayne McDuffie something as well.
Hey, your vid and audio look and sound better. You are getting better at this in every way. Good job man. Keep it moving!
Icon was bad ass, I remember seeing the first ads in my comicbooks.
Oh man, that little bit about key not getting to meet his brother hurt my heart man. I know exactly what’s that’s like.
I grew up watching a lot of the animated programming he wrote for. I rewatched Justice League a couple years ago and I was surprised to see his name in the credits. I didn't know he wrote for animation as well as comics.
I first learned about the impact Dwayne had on my life and his work on the media I had been absorbing like a sponge when I saw an "In Memoriam" section at the end of animated film "Justice League: Doom". He was a genius individual, and I wish we could have seen him share more of that genius.
If you tuned it down just a a scooch, I could fall asleep to your videos. And I can't think of a greater compliment.
The 90s Deathlok series was amazing ! As were the early Milestone books. Great video.