Milestone Comics Founders Announce New Comics and Animated Film in the Works

October 16, 2021October 16, 2021 Adonis Gonzalez

Milestone Comics may not be a name as easily recognizable as Marvel or DC, but if you’re a fan of Static Shock, you have them and their creation of the Dakotaverse to thank. Static and the heroes of Milestone Comics are known for pushing diversity and inclusion in comics, especially in terms of representation of the African American community in comics.

Conventions, DC Comics, Gaming

‘Suicide Squad’ and ‘Gotham Knights’ Games Teased in New DC FanDome Trailer

October 7, 2021October 8, 2021 Jamal Michel

The newest trailer for DC FanDome dropped today and with it came even more hype to get us ready for next Saturday’s event. What stood out for me though were the brief shots of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and Gotham Knights that teased some new footage to come at FanDome.

Conventions, DC Comics

Full Talent Line-Up Revealed for DC FanDome

October 4, 2021October 4, 2021 Mike Manalo

It’s coming folks! We are just about two weeks away from year two of DC FanDome. And as is tradition with most cons, the closer we get, the more is revealed! And today the good folks at DC have debuted their all-star lineup of talent that will be making appearances at the highly anticipated virtual con! Take a look here:

Conventions, DC Comics1 Comment

Welcome Back to the DC FanDome

August 31, 2021August 31, 2021 Mike Manalo

Suit up, DC Fans! Because on Saturday, October 16, you’re needed back at the DC FanDome!

That’s right! After the overwhelming success of last year’s inaugural virtual event, DC announced earlier this year that DC FanDome would be returning. And as of this morning, we are finally getting an official press release, and an announcement regarding the programming we can expect from this year’s event. And it’s looking to be just as epic the second time around.

Comics, DC Comics

Milestone Relaunch: Press Conference Recap

May 26, 2021November 3, 2021 Patrick Strange

Milestone is back! Again! But… seriously, this time! Hey, it’s Kuya P, long time Milestone fan and I know we’ve been here before with Milestone and DC Comics but it is finally happening folks! I recently had the pleasure of attending a virtual press conference with Denys Cowan and Reginald Hudlin to discuss the release of Milestone Returns #0: Infinite Edition, the history of Milestone and some of the new talent working on the titles and more!

DC Comics, Hard N.O.C. Life

Episode 100: Behind the Scenes at ‘DC in D.C. 2018’

January 19, 2018May 8, 2020 Hard NOC Media

Over the Martin Luther King holiday weekend in the Nation’s Capital, Warner Brothers and DC Entertainment held the first ever “DC in D.C.” event, bringing together the stars and creators of television and comics to celebrate and honor the diversity of the DC Universe’s superheroes. We also finally announce a Patreon and ask you for your support!

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Hard N.O.C. Life, Podcasts2 Comments

Hard NOC Live at the Smithsonian #CrossLines: Shawn Martinbrough

June 3, 2016June 3, 2016 The Nerds of Color

Last week, we had the opportunity to be a part of CrossLines, a pop-up culture lab on intersectionality presented by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center. In addition to hosting a Reading Lounge/Book Swap and live mural by artist Matt Huyhn, The Nerds of Color was invited to conduct live recordings of Hard NOC Life. The first of these live podcasts featured comic book artist Shawn Martinbrough.

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Animation, Comics, Gone Too Soon2 Comments

Why Dwayne McDuffie Was Better Than You

February 18, 2016February 10, 2017 Dennis R. Upkins

One cannot discuss black excellence (specifically in speculative fiction) without discussing one of the most gifted and progressive storytellers, ever to walk this earth, the late Dwayne McDuffie.

As expected, many discussed the amazing work he and his team did with making Milestone Comics a success, others mentioned his phenomenal work with fellow phenom Bruce Timm creating over a decade of superb animated series and films.

Of course people pointed out that McDuffie paved the way for black storytellers in a way too vanilla-centric medium that is the comic book industry.

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Comics, Conventions7 Comments

How to Comic-Con in Under 48 Hours

July 13, 2015November 16, 2015 Keith Chow

If you ever get the chance to attend Comic-Con International in San Diego, you should probably do the complete opposite of what I did. Namely, give yourself some time to travel and eat food. Other than that, my Comic-Con experience this year was probably the best time I’ve had at a convention in a long time! Big thanks to Marissa, Mike, and Dariane of Racebending for inviting me to the Super Asian America panel (more on that later!) and allowing me to come back to SDCC in the first place!

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Comics, DC Comics7 Comments

10 DC Comics Superheroes Who Deserve a Vehicle

May 27, 2015May 27, 2015 Dennis R. Upkins

As more DC Comics projects are announced, it often leads to the question of who deserves his or her vehicle in the form of a movie, TV series, direct-to-dvd animated film, etc.

Contrary to popular belief, DC does in fact have a rich diverse variety of engaging characters. The (most frustrating) problem is that they refuse to properly utilize them. More than a few of said rich diverse superheroes have amassed mainstream crossover appeal. Yet, DC does not capitalize on these opportunities.

But that’s okay. Help has arrived. Help in the form of yours truly. The following is a list of 10 characters (among countless others) who need their own mainstream project like yesterday.

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Comics, DC Comics5 Comments

Icon and Rocket: Redefining the Superhero Sidekick Paradigm

February 1, 2015March 12, 2015 Dennis R. Upkins

If there’s one trait that always distinguished Milestone Media, it was its consistency in delivering a brilliant new take on an old idea.

A primary example of this can be found with two of their flagship heroes, Icon and Rocket. The superhero pair is a fascinating case of the superhero sidekick paradigm being redefined.

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Comics1 Comment

Milestone Media Returns

January 21, 2015January 23, 2015 Keith Chow

The Washington Post broke the news this morning, but it looks like Milestone Media will be making its long awaited return in 2015. This time, filmmaker Reginald Hudlin will be joining original co-founders Denys Cowan and Derek Dingle in rebooting Milestone 2.0.

Coincidentally, Geppi’s Entertainment Museum recently announced it would be extending its “Milestones: African Americans in Comics, Pop Culture, and Beyond” exhibit — curated by original co-founder Michael Davis and Tatiana EL-Khouri — through February. (Here’s my recap of the exhibit’s opening in December 2013).

Needless to say, NOC HQ is very excited about these events.

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Comics, Gone Too Soon1 Comment

Today is Dwayne McDuffie’s Birthday

February 20, 2014February 27, 2015 David F. Walker

[Ed. note: David originally wrote this for BadAzz Mofo on Monday, and we’re running it today in honor of what would have been Dwayne’s 52nd birthday. Tomorrow is also the third anniversary of his passing. My own memory of meeting Dwayne is here. The image above is by graphic designer Ed Williams. —KC]

Things were different when I was a kid growing up. For the most part, you didn’t know what comic book creators looked like. Sure, everyone knew what Stan Lee looked like, but that was about it. The few comic creators I had contact with back in my youth were all white, and for some reason, it just sort of stuck in my head that all comic creators had to be white. This was, of course, reinforced by the vast majority of comics that were being published, which only had a relatively small number of black characters.

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Art, Comics

Denys Cowan’s Art Has Been Found

January 10, 2014April 29, 2019 Keith Chow

Quick update on the artwork that UPS “lost” en route to Geppi’s Entertainment Museum in Baltimore. It appears that all 28 pieces have been returned to Denys Cowan. Unfortunately, they have not been returned in the same condition in which they were shipped. Still, it’s good to know that this injustice has been rectified in some small way.

Cowan took to social media to deliver a special message to his fans and all involved in holding UPS’ feet to the fire. His message, as posted on Michael Davis’ website, is after the jump.

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Art, Comics3 Comments

UPS Loses Valuable Denys Cowan Artwork

December 18, 2013April 29, 2019 Keith Chow

I recently wrote about the wonderful time I had at the opening gala for the “Milestones: African Americans in Comics, Pop Culture, and Beyond art exhibit at the Geppi Museum in Baltimore. Unbeknownst to me at the time, there was some very unfortunate news amidst the happiness inside the museum.

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Art, Comics7 Comments

Making ‘Milestones’ at Geppi’s Entertainment Museum

December 14, 2013May 29, 2018 Keith Chow

2013 12 13 (10) — Legend Status (L to R): Michael Davis, Kyle Baker, Denys Cowan

On Friday night, I had the honor and privilege to attend the opening gala for the latest exhibit at the Geppi Entertainment Museum in Baltimore. Curated by Milestone Media co-founder Michael Davis and Tatiana El-Kouri — with John Jennings consulting, the exhibit “Milestones: African Americans in Comics, Pop Culture, and Beyond” was a showcase for the artists who make up the African American pop art experience. Representing a true cross-section of popular culture, the pieces on display spanned decades and demonstrated the vastness and diversity of African American artistic expression.

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Comics, Hard N.O.C. Life8 Comments

20 Years: A Milestone (Comics) Anniversary

November 22, 2013April 29, 2019 The Nerds of Color

In this landmark live-streamed episode, the founders and creators of Milestone Comics join Keith (@the_real_chow) for a special retrospective of one of the most important companies in comic book history. The show’s panel consists of Milestone founders Denys Cowan and Michael Davis, editor/writer Joseph Phillip Illidge, artist Shawn Martinbrough, and production manager/writer Erica Well.

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Comics, DC Comics, Gone Too Soon5 Comments

Remembering Dwayne McDuffie

November 21, 2013February 21, 2017 Keith Chow

Dwayne McDuffie is one of the most important figures in the history of the comic book industry. Perhaps that’s hyperbole, but I don’t think so. I know that his work has left an indelible mark on me, and the world is a lesser place without him in it.

I didn’t know Dwayne McDuffie personally. I only met him once. Briefly. It was in San Diego in 2009. The fellas (Jerry Ma, Jeff Yang, Parry Shen) and I were at Comic-Con to promote Secret Identities. Dwayne was on a panel moderated by Jeff, and the five of us were able to chat for a bit afterwards.

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Comics, DC Comics7 Comments

Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Milestone

November 19, 2013March 21, 2014 Keith Chow

This Thursday evening, the co-founders and creators of the groundbreaking comics company Milestone Media will be the guests on a special episode of Hard N.O.C. Life, bringing together a panel of some of the most talented voices in comics to discuss the legacy of the company that revolutionized the industry two decades ago.

UPDATE: The special episode is now available for viewing here.

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