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Dwayne McDuffie was an African American writer known for his work in comic books and animation. He co-founded Milestone Media, a DC Comics imprint focused on improving representation and stories for minorities. McDuffie also contributed significantly to Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, the final chapter of the DC Animated Universe (DCAU). He strongly opposed stereotypes in his work and received three Eisner Award nominations for his comics.
Born Dwayne Glenn McDuffie in Detroit, Michigan, to Edna McDuffie Gardner, he initially aspired to be an astronaut and studied physics but was rejected due to his 6-foot-5 height. An avid reader, he shifted his focus to writing. After working as a copy editor for Investment Dealer's Digest, a friend's connection led him to an assistant editor role at Marvel Comics under Bob Budiansky. There, he helped develop Marvel's first superhero trading cards and wrote the miniseries "Damage Control," which centers on an insurance company handling the aftermath of superhero battles in the fictional New York City. As a Marvel editor, he submitted the parody proposal "Ninja Thrashers" in response to the company's portrayal of black characters.
In 1990, McDuffie freelanced for Marvel, DC Comics, and Archie Comics. He also wrote "Monster In My Pocket" for Harvey Comics editor Sid Jacobson, whom he regarded as a mentor.
After his 1991 divorce from Patricia D. Younger, McDuffie and three partners launched Milestone Media to bring a multicultural perspective to comics. Serving as editor-in-chief, he helped create characters such as Static, Icon, Hardware, the Asian-American Xombi, and the diverse superhero team the Blood Syndicate, featuring black, Asian, and Latino heroes. Milestone debuted its titles in 1993 through a distribution agreement with DC Comics.
Following Milestone Media's closure, Static was adapted into the animated series "Static Shock," with McDuffie writing 11 episodes and acting as story editor. He then joined the writing team of "Justice League," effectively replacing longtime DCAU writer Paul Dini. He later became story editor and producer for "Justice League Unlimited," contributing to 69 of the series' 91 episodes. His other animation writing credits include "What's New, Scooby-Doo?", "Ben 10: Alien Force," "Ben 10: Ultimate Alien," and "Teen Titans."
McDuffie also wrote several direct-to-DVD animated films for Warner Brothers featuring DC superheroes, including "Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths" (2010), based on a previously pitched story bridging "Justice League" and "Justice League Unlimited," as well as "All-Star Superman" (2011) and "Justice League: Doom" (2012).
Returning to comics, McDuffie wrote the Marvel miniseries "Beyond!", along with runs on "Fantastic Four," "Firestorm," and "Justice League America" for DC Comics. His candid and unfiltered responses to fans about the creative process led to his dismissal from "Justice League America." He later penned "Milestone Forever," chronicling the final stories of the Milestone characters before their integration into the regular DC universe.
McDuffie passed away on February 21, 2011, one day after his 49th birthday, due to complications from emergency heart surgery at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center. His younger brother Darryl had died months earlier, and their older brother Brian had died in infancy. Remembered as a visionary dedicated to elevating storytelling quality for all, McDuffie's talent was a significant loss. He is survived by his second wife, animation writer Charlotte Fullerton, and his mother. The film "Justice League: Doom," loosely based on Mark Waid's "Tower of Babel" miniseries and released over a year later, was dedicated to his memory.
