Milestone Media writer Reggie Hudlin and imprint co-creator Denys Cowan explained why Black superheroes are vital to pop culture. During a panel at South By Southwest 2022, Hudlin and Cowan elaborated on the importance of Milestone’s titular heroes including Static, Icon, Rocket, and Hardware.
Throughout the 1990s, Milestone Media debuted Black superheroes through DC Comics and provided representation in the medium that had been missing. In the early 2000s, Static received an animated adaptation with Static Shock, which garnered critical success and proved the impact of superheroes who represented a demographic of fans that had long often felt excluded and ignored. With the return of Milestone this past year, fans were reminded of the integral nature that diverse heroes can have in an industry largely known for depicting white characters.
As reported by Vibe, Milestone writer Reginald Hudlin and artist Denys Cowan spoke on their work in comics at SXSW during a panel titled “The Equity In Black Super Heroes.” The panel was sponsored partly by UnitedMasters along with the podcast Earn Your Leisure, and presented by Ally. The conversation was moderated by the director of multicultural marketing at Ally, Erica Hughes, who helped bring the discussion into the topic of cultural impact that Black superheroes have had on society. Hudlin shared his thoughts about the relevance of comic book storytelling, stating, “Superheroes are mythology now, right? It used to be about Zeus and Hercules and whatever. Now it’s about Superman and Spider-Man and all that. We learn a lot from superhero movies and the entire family goes. They’re really important to the culture right now, and historically have led American culture.” Cowan elaborated on the value that Milestone and Black superheroes in pop culture can have, saying:
“I think for the importance of Black superheroes… for me growing up, there were no Black superheroes. It was Luke Cage, Power Man. He wasn’t even Power Man. He was Luke Cage, hero for hire. You had to pay him to help you. And you had Black Panther and you had Mal from the Teen Titans who didn’t even get a superhero name. And that was it. It was always in my mind that I wanted to see more, but it wasn’t until I got older and cultural events started happening, and Spike Lee, and all these things started happening. I looked around, ‘Okay, there’s Black product here.’”
The two comic book creators are continuing to lead the charge in the industry, fulfilling a demand that has gone largely unmet. Many have compared comics, and specifically the DC Universe, with ancient mythology for their larger than life figures. However, Hudlin’s point regarding the need for diverse characters based on the growing awareness of superheroes is a needed one.
Cowan has been a pioneer of Black superheroes in comics, serving as one of the co-founders of Milestone alongside the late Dwayne McDuffie and Derek T. Dingle. At the moment, he is illustrating Hardware: Season One for the new iteration of the imprint. Before joining Milestone’s reboot, Hudlin had written a critically acclaimed run on Black Panther from 2005-2008, and also worked as a producer and director on a variety of shows. Now, he is writing Icon and Rocket, which just concluded its first season comprised of six issues.
