RIP DWAYNE MCDUFFIE... JLA/Milestone/DCAU writer
02-22-11, 04:35 PM
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RIP DWAYNE MCDUFFIE... JLA/Milestone/DCAU writer
Sad, sad news. I was a huge fan, especially of the Milestone comics. And his All-Star Superman adaptation is TOP NOTCH. 
McDuffie, DC Comics & Animation Writer Dead
McDuffie, DC Comics & Animation Writer Dead
Writer Dwayne McDuffie, famous for his creation of Milestone and runs on Justice League in both comics & animation, has passed away. No cause of death or exact details have been released, but the creator's death has been confirmed by multiple independent sources.
McDuffie was the co-founder of Milestone Media, a coalition of African-American writers and artists formed with fellow creators Denys Cowan, Michael Davis and Derek T. Dingle in 1993, whose output was published through DC Comics. Characters he co-created through that imprint include Static (who inspired the 2000-2004 animated series Static Shock) and Icon.
McDuffie worked extensively in the field of animation, as a writer for Static Shock and also Justice League and Ben 10: Alien Force. He contributed the screenplay to 2010's DC Animated feature Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, and his latest project, the direct-to-video animated All-Star Superman film, went on sale today.
As a comic writer, McDuffie had runs on high-profile Marvel and DC Comics titles in recent years, including Fantastic Four, Justice League of America and the six-issue Marvel miniseries Beyond. His earlier comic book work includes co-creating and writing several miniseries of Damage Control, about a construction company that repairs property damage resulting from superpowered conflicts in the Marvel Universe.
Along with co-writer Alan Burnett, McDuffie won a Humanitas Prize for children's animation in 2003 for the "Jimmy" episode of Static Shock, dealing with gun violence.
McDuffie made a public appearance at the Paley Center in Los Angeles promoting All-Star Superman on Thursday, Feb. 17, of last week, and posted on his Facebook account as recently as Sunday afternoon. More as it comes in.
McDuffie was the co-founder of Milestone Media, a coalition of African-American writers and artists formed with fellow creators Denys Cowan, Michael Davis and Derek T. Dingle in 1993, whose output was published through DC Comics. Characters he co-created through that imprint include Static (who inspired the 2000-2004 animated series Static Shock) and Icon.
McDuffie worked extensively in the field of animation, as a writer for Static Shock and also Justice League and Ben 10: Alien Force. He contributed the screenplay to 2010's DC Animated feature Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, and his latest project, the direct-to-video animated All-Star Superman film, went on sale today.
As a comic writer, McDuffie had runs on high-profile Marvel and DC Comics titles in recent years, including Fantastic Four, Justice League of America and the six-issue Marvel miniseries Beyond. His earlier comic book work includes co-creating and writing several miniseries of Damage Control, about a construction company that repairs property damage resulting from superpowered conflicts in the Marvel Universe.
Along with co-writer Alan Burnett, McDuffie won a Humanitas Prize for children's animation in 2003 for the "Jimmy" episode of Static Shock, dealing with gun violence.
McDuffie made a public appearance at the Paley Center in Los Angeles promoting All-Star Superman on Thursday, Feb. 17, of last week, and posted on his Facebook account as recently as Sunday afternoon. More as it comes in.
02-22-11, 05:21 PM
#4
DVD Talk Hero
Re: RIP DWAYNE MCDUFFIE... JLA/Milestone/DCAU writer
Damn. That's sad. Though I wasn't familiar with the man, I was a fan of his works. 
02-22-11, 06:35 PM
#7
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Re: RIP DWAYNE MCDUFFIE... JLA/Milestone/DCAU writer
Back in the early/mid 90s, the place to hang out for comics talk was Compuserve's Comics and Animation forum. It was an easygoing, fun forum in which fans could easily and casually interact with people like Neil Gaiman, Peter Milligan, Peter David, Mark Waid, Kurt Busiek, and dozens of other pros. I had great memories of chatting with Kurt Busiek just as "Marvels" broke big, and getting a personal email from Neil Gaiman after the first issue of Death: The High Cost of Living came out, and I waxed poetically about it for seemingly forever, and he was gracious enough to read it all and thank me.
Anyway, Dwayne was on that forum as well, and I chatted with him via email or the forum about the Milestone line as that was emerging. I was (and am) a huge fan. Of all the "New Universes" that came out around that time (Defiant, Ultraverse, Comics Greatest World, etc.), Milestone was the best written of the lot, the most fun, and still holds up now. Dwayne even clued me in to the big Superman crossover before it happened. It was a great time to be a comics fan, before the online douchetards took over the asylum.
He was a fantastic writer and, as I remember, a really nice and approachable comics pro. Sudden, shocking, and sad are pretty much the words of the hour.
Anyway, Dwayne was on that forum as well, and I chatted with him via email or the forum about the Milestone line as that was emerging. I was (and am) a huge fan. Of all the "New Universes" that came out around that time (Defiant, Ultraverse, Comics Greatest World, etc.), Milestone was the best written of the lot, the most fun, and still holds up now. Dwayne even clued me in to the big Superman crossover before it happened. It was a great time to be a comics fan, before the online douchetards took over the asylum.
He was a fantastic writer and, as I remember, a really nice and approachable comics pro. Sudden, shocking, and sad are pretty much the words of the hour.
02-22-11, 06:38 PM
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Re: RIP DWAYNE MCDUFFIE... JLA/Milestone/DCAU writer
According to his website, he was scheduled to do a signing at an event on the 23rd.
Great, great writer. Did a fantastic job with the Justice League show. And he was only 49.
Great, great writer. Did a fantastic job with the Justice League show. And he was only 49.
02-22-11, 08:42 PM
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Re: RIP DWAYNE MCDUFFIE... JLA/Milestone/DCAU writer
I remember watching Crisis on Two Earths and I loved the movie and had to get more information and inspiration and who all the characters were, etc. I can't remember what forum I was at, but they had a debate on the ending. And I remember Dwayne being in on the conversation explaining his point and he spoke very concisely and articulately that to me the ending could have not ended any other way.
I still haven't gotten All-Star Superman, I have to stop buy tomorrow at Best Buy and pick-up the blu-ray.
So sad to hear of his death, such a young age too.
02-22-11, 08:44 PM
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02-22-11, 10:25 PM
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Re: RIP DWAYNE MCDUFFIE... JLA/Milestone/DCAU writer
Disturbing news.
