Showing posts with label In Memory Of. Show all posts
Showing posts with label In Memory Of. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Dwayne McDuffie, RIP: Championed Diversity Among Champions
by Glen Weldon
Dwayne McDuffie was a guy who made a living writing for comics and TV. If you don't know his name, your friends who read comics do. If your kids have watched cartoons in the last decade, they've more than likely seen some of his work.
Yesterday we learned that McDuffie passed away suddenly at the age of 49. The website Comic Book Resources reports that he died from complications following surgery, but details are still coming in.
His individual contributions as a writer and producer, which I'll get to in a bit, remain impressive. But McDuffie was more than a writer, he was a voice — a passionate proponent for change in a genre (superhero comics) that reflexively resists it. And it's that voice that will be most acutely missed.
He started out in the '80s as an editor at Marvel before leaving to do freelance writing for DC, Marvel and Archie. In 1993 he co-founded Milestone, a company dedicated to "expanding the role of minorities both on the [comics] page and off..."
There, he launched several new characters, most notably Static, an electromagnetically-powered black teenage hero. (The character went on to star in the Saturday morning series Static Shock, which ran from 2000-2004.)
He wrote for the Cartoon Network series Justice League, and when that series underwent a change in format to become Justice League Unlimited, with a new focus on the deep bench of DC heroes and villains, McDuffie became a story editor. In recent years, he continued to write for comics like Firestorm, Fantastic Four and Justice League of America (where he beefed up the roles of black heroes in the JLA roster).
Most recently, he scripted the just-released, direct-to-DVD adaptation of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's definitive, 12-issue All-Star Superman series. And he did a fantastic job, capturing the whiz-bang, idea-a-minute tone of Morrison's story while finding and delineating its emotional through-line.
Of all the encomiums that rolled in yesterday, the one that resonated most strongly with me came from Kevin Church, a webcomic writer and comics blogger who has criticized McDuffie's work in the past - especially his JLA run. (To be fair, McDuffie himself spoke — bluntly — of the challenges of writing a flagship book like JLA, which is uniquely subject to corporate/editorial edicts.)
In a brief blog post, Church neatly deconstructs and dismisses the "Dwayne wrote about characters first, race second" meme that started making the rounds immediately after McDuffie's death.
"[McDuffie] brought the experience he had as a black kid growing up in Detroit in the 70s and 80s to every project he got his hands on by choosing directly not to emulate what he'd seen in the comic books he read, but by creating what he wished he had read," Church writes.
I wasn't reading comics in the '90s, so I'll leave it to others to speak to the specifics of the Milestone books.
But I'm of the generation who got turned on to superheroes in particular and comics in general by television. If it hadn't been for reruns of the '60s Batman show and Spider-Man cartoon, I might never have taken a second look at the spinner rack of the West Goshen Book and Card Store, back in 1973. And sealed my fate.
Which is why McDuffie's work on shows like Justice League
, and especially Static Shock
, has a special importance, and it's what I'll remember. His characters had personalities, not outsize personality disorders. They were heroic because they chose to be, not because it was their job. Race was dealt with matter-of-factly, but it was dealt with.
A new generation of kids who watched McDuffie's work saw worlds full of heroes — worlds that looked a lot like their own, and heroes that looked a lot like them.
Did McDuffie's pugnaciousness on matters of diversity (read the very funny memo he wrote when, as a Marvel editor, he detected a surfeit of skateboardin' black superheroes) change superhero comics forever?
As we've talked about before, superhero comics tend to reach for the RESET button every few years, and that means certain advancements get pushed back. Temporarily.
But McDuffie was a passionate writer and advocate, and here's the great thing about the kind of passion he embodied, which is born of a sense of justice and the desire to be heard:
It's catching.
Glenn Weldon writes for NPR's Monkey See Blog.
Dwayne McDuffie was a guy who made a living writing for comics and TV. If you don't know his name, your friends who read comics do. If your kids have watched cartoons in the last decade, they've more than likely seen some of his work.
Yesterday we learned that McDuffie passed away suddenly at the age of 49. The website Comic Book Resources reports that he died from complications following surgery, but details are still coming in.
His individual contributions as a writer and producer, which I'll get to in a bit, remain impressive. But McDuffie was more than a writer, he was a voice — a passionate proponent for change in a genre (superhero comics) that reflexively resists it. And it's that voice that will be most acutely missed.
He started out in the '80s as an editor at Marvel before leaving to do freelance writing for DC, Marvel and Archie. In 1993 he co-founded Milestone, a company dedicated to "expanding the role of minorities both on the [comics] page and off..."
There, he launched several new characters, most notably Static, an electromagnetically-powered black teenage hero. (The character went on to star in the Saturday morning series Static Shock, which ran from 2000-2004.)
He wrote for the Cartoon Network series Justice League, and when that series underwent a change in format to become Justice League Unlimited, with a new focus on the deep bench of DC heroes and villains, McDuffie became a story editor. In recent years, he continued to write for comics like Firestorm, Fantastic Four and Justice League of America (where he beefed up the roles of black heroes in the JLA roster).
Most recently, he scripted the just-released, direct-to-DVD adaptation of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's definitive, 12-issue All-Star Superman series. And he did a fantastic job, capturing the whiz-bang, idea-a-minute tone of Morrison's story while finding and delineating its emotional through-line.
Of all the encomiums that rolled in yesterday, the one that resonated most strongly with me came from Kevin Church, a webcomic writer and comics blogger who has criticized McDuffie's work in the past - especially his JLA run. (To be fair, McDuffie himself spoke — bluntly — of the challenges of writing a flagship book like JLA, which is uniquely subject to corporate/editorial edicts.)
In a brief blog post, Church neatly deconstructs and dismisses the "Dwayne wrote about characters first, race second" meme that started making the rounds immediately after McDuffie's death.
"[McDuffie] brought the experience he had as a black kid growing up in Detroit in the 70s and 80s to every project he got his hands on by choosing directly not to emulate what he'd seen in the comic books he read, but by creating what he wished he had read," Church writes.
I wasn't reading comics in the '90s, so I'll leave it to others to speak to the specifics of the Milestone books.
But I'm of the generation who got turned on to superheroes in particular and comics in general by television. If it hadn't been for reruns of the '60s Batman show and Spider-Man cartoon, I might never have taken a second look at the spinner rack of the West Goshen Book and Card Store, back in 1973. And sealed my fate.
Which is why McDuffie's work on shows like Justice League
, and especially Static Shock, has a special importance, and it's what I'll remember. His characters had personalities, not outsize personality disorders. They were heroic because they chose to be, not because it was their job. Race was dealt with matter-of-factly, but it was dealt with.A new generation of kids who watched McDuffie's work saw worlds full of heroes — worlds that looked a lot like their own, and heroes that looked a lot like them.
Did McDuffie's pugnaciousness on matters of diversity (read the very funny memo he wrote when, as a Marvel editor, he detected a surfeit of skateboardin' black superheroes) change superhero comics forever?
As we've talked about before, superhero comics tend to reach for the RESET button every few years, and that means certain advancements get pushed back. Temporarily.
But McDuffie was a passionate writer and advocate, and here's the great thing about the kind of passion he embodied, which is born of a sense of justice and the desire to be heard:
It's catching.
Glenn Weldon writes for NPR's Monkey See Blog.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Random Geekery: Michael Jackson Figures Coming Soon
“We are delighted to expand our successful line of Michael Jackson collectible memorabilia by working with Lou and his innovative team at Playmates Toys,” stated Tom Bennett, Chief Executive Officer of Bravado. “This new line truly celebrates Michael’s unmistakable style and irreplaceable talent. Bringing in Playmates as a licensee only further cements Michael’s retail visibility and helps commemorate and preserve the legacy that is Michael Jackson.”
“Michael Jackson as a global icon leaves a legacy in music, dance and fashion that remain unrivaled,” added Lou Novak, President of Playmates Toys. “We will honor his talent and his art expression by delivering a spectacular, highly detailed product line to inspire fans, collectors and new found enthusiasts.”
According to MajorSpoilers.com the figures will make their debut at San Diego Comic-Con.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Cookin' Soul Pays Tribute To Teddy Pendergrass
Cookin' Soul is back with another tribute to a fallen artist. Previous tributes include Isaac Hayes, The Notorious B.I.G. (and another one), J Dilla & Big Pun as well as Michael Jackson.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
DJ Premier's Salute To Keith "Guru" Elam
On DJ Premier's Sirius Radio show, Live From HeadQCourters, he paid tribute to his former parter in crime Guru of the legendary Gang Starr.
Click Here To Download
Special thanks to DJ Premier Blog for the streaming of the show.
Click Here To Download
Special thanks to DJ Premier Blog for the streaming of the show.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
The Music Community Reflects On Guru’s Passing
By Jonah Bayer for Myspace Music
Ever since people found out that Gang Starr’s co-founder Guru passed away, the Internet has been buzzing with condolences from his collaborators, peers… and even one member of Good Charlotte. Here we’ve compiled some of the more notable Tweets and parting words about this extremely gifted and innovative musician, who met his time far too soon.
*DJ Premier: “The man has found his peace, far way from the devil. R.I.P. GURU / GANG STARR”
RZA (Wu-Tang Clan): RIP Guru – this is total sad news for hip-hop. You were a good friend and an inspiration. A true legend, you will be missed.
MC Hammer: Gangstarr’s Guru Gone Too Soon (RIP): http://bit.ly/9fLuuD
DJ Tony Touch: “Today is one of the saddest days for me.I lost a real friend/brother/teacher etc.He believed in me.supported.Took me on my first tour in 96″
Dres (Black Sheep): “Guru and I didnt always see eye to eye… but we shared 2 things sincerely.. the mic.. and respect … peace good brother”
Questlove (The Roots): “in my 10 greatest voices in hip hop. Guru was easily top 5 imo. smooth. velvet. will be missed. RIP Guru” http://bit.ly/d86nKK
DJ Jazzy Jeff: “Rest in Peace Guru…Pls send Prayers go out to his Family!”
Q-Tip: “From Allah we come to Allah we return. R.I.P. Keith GURU. A great man, poet, and I’m proud to say friend… 23 yrs. Damn!”
Talib Kweli: “Todays overtweeting dedicated to Guru. U don’t like it unfollow rather lose u then not pay tribute to my man. 2 many don’t know what’s real.”
Snoop Dogg: “420 gonna be in honor of the big homie Guru.. respect the foundation… light one up for the legend
Joel Madden: “Rest in Peace GURU’
Fat Joe: “R.I.P GURU LOVE YOU MY BROTHER the World Will Miss You!!!! WE LOST A Great Man and a Big Part OF HIP HOP History!!!”
Lil Jon: “#RIPGURU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFQQeUNaZtc“JUST TO GET A REP” GANGSTARR #CLASSICCCCCC MY SHIT!!”
Joell Ortiz: “bout to be in the bentley bumping that Gangstarr! feeling very retro brooklyn right now.”
P.Diddy: “RIP Guru! Hip-Hop lost an icon today-but u’ll always be w/ us b/c Legends live on 4ever. Donate in his memory http://www.eachonecounts.org/”
In addition, longtime MySpace Music editorial team member Roslynn Cobarrubias has shared some of her thoughts and memories of the man.
Guru has been a friend of Ros’ for years and was one of the first members of the hip-hop community to join this site of ours. For these, and many reasons far more significant, he will be forever missed.
Image courtesy of Mattboy
*Note: The twitter account noted is for a fan operated DJ Premier Blog and not DJ Premier himself.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
J Dilla - Safety Dance (Donut Shop)
Pre-order for the J Dilla-Serato release (May 2010)
Serato and Stones Throw have teamed with the J Dilla Estate for the official J Dilla Serato release, Donut Shop. This is 2 discs with six J Dilla tracks, 2 sides with Serato Control Tone (for use with Serato Scratch Live DJ software), and 2 donut slipmats in a package designed by Studio No.1. This will be released May 10th (the day after Mother's day--what's up Ma Dukes?). Pre-order is available now.
The J Dilla tracks consist of three previously unreleased instrumentals selected by J.Rocc from the Dilla archives – “Safety Dance”, “Sycamore”, “Bars & Twists” – and three unreleased instrumental versions of Dilla's production for Mos Def, Q-Tip and Busta Rhymes, each remastered by Elysian Masters who mixed and mastered J Dilla's Donuts, The Shining and Ruff Draft albums.
Courtesy of Stones Throw Records
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Happy Biggie Day
Once again another March 9th has arrived, which I am sure has brought one or two Biggie posts to your google reader. lol I don't have any cool mixtape to post today, but I figured I would just pass along some songs that I like that you may or may not have. For the most part these are just mash ups and remixes with one or two unreleased joints.
Machine Gun Funk [DJ Premier Remix] and For The Macs & Dons off of Ready To Die [O.G. Edition]
Dead Wrong [Ratatat Remix]
Gremlins off of Cookin' Soul's Night Of The Living Dead
Wavin' The .44 is off of Kickdrums' Smash The System
Jay-Z & Biggie - Whatchu Want
Thanks for stopping by & enjoy,
8
*P.S. To download a song from divshare just click on the word divshare to the right.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Squeek Boogie Presents DILLmatic (Nas + J Dilla)
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01 Intro
02 Nas Is Like
03 Fast Life
04 It Ain't Hard To Tell
05 Affirmative Action (Featuring AZ & Foxy Brown)
06 Thief's Theme
07 Streets Of New York (Featuring Rakim & Jay-Z)
08 Made You Look
09 Life's A Bitch (Featuring AZ)
10 Classic (Featuring Kanye West & KRS-One)
11 One Love
12 The World Is Yours
13 Reckless Driving
14 The Money
15 You Know My Style
16 Made You Look [Remix] (Featuring Jadakiss & Ludacris)
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
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