Black Comic Book Creators At DC You Should Know

Cultural comic book icons like Green Lantern, Batman, and even Plastic Man were created by white writers in the 1930s and 1940s. However, the scope of inspiration and imagination in maintaining those heroes was expanded in large part by creators of color, without whose influence the DC Universe would be a far less fulfilling world to visit. While there are several comic book heroes from Trevor Von Eeden’s pioneering work on Black Lightning to Damian Scott’s impressive run on Batgirl, let’s home in on five specific black creators’ contributions to DC’s long history.

Dwayne McDuffie

One of the most influential black creators in comics, Dwayne McDuffie’s legacy branches out from DC to Marvel to the animation world, blazing trails in every corner. A brilliant academic with a master’s degree in physics, McDuffie brought his interest in the more minor details of the comics world to the limited series Damage Control at Marvel before co-founding Milestone Media in 1994. Milestone Media was created to present a range of diversity and authenticity in superhero comics that wasn’t represented in the mainstream industry. Together, McDuffie, Dingle, Cowan, and Davis co-created the characters Hardware, Icon, and Static. McDuffie also wrote several issues of the “Worlds Collide” crossover, which had the Milestone heroes meet the characters from Superman.

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In 2000, McDuffie produced the animated series, Static Shock, a television series based on the superhero Static, which ran for four seasons. After production wrapped on Static Shock, McDuffie wrote for the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited animated series. Later, he would write the animated adaptation of All-Star Superman, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, and Justice League: Doom. Sadly, Dwayne McDuffie passed away in 2011 from complications from emergency heart surgery. He was 49 years old. His final work, the animated movie Justice League: Doom, was dedicated to his memory.

Brian Stelfreeze

One of the most renowned artists in comics with a career going back to 1980, Brian Stelfreeze rose to heights in 1992 with his covers for the series Batman: Shadow of the Bat. His slick, angular painting style left an enduring impression on future comic book artists, presenting DC’s aesthetic for the 1990s as modern and totally unrestrained. His Batman was shiny, sharp, and intimidating. He also illustrated the Matador series, part of DC’s Wildstorm imprint, and provided art for the Demon/Catwoman feature in DC’s Wednesday Comics, a 2009 award-winning anthology series.

Kyle Baker

Kyle Baker is a writer and artist whose work shows a vast breadth of diversity. Baker was a high school intern at Marvel Comics, but his career really began as a photocopier. Shortly afterward, he got his first break at DC Comics, illustrating the 1987 series The Shadow, written by Andy Helfer. After that, he bounced around for a few titles, providing art for Justice League America #50 and Justice, Inc.

One of his most notable successes came in 2003 when he wrote and illustrated a revival of the Plastic Man series. This series won several Eisner and Harvey Awards, including “Best New Series,” “Best New Writer/Artist,” and “Best Title for Younger Readers.”

Jamal Igle

Like Baker, another comic book fan who was introduced to DC Comics at a young age, Jamal Igle began his career working as an intern at DC Comics while still in high school. After that, he steadily filled his resume by working in book illustration and other multiple companies, penciling works such as The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Igle’s two most successful stints with DC Comics came when he replaced ChrisCross on Firestorm, which relaunched the teen hero as Jason Rusch, a young black college kid. Later, he joined writer Sterling Gates on the then-new Supergirl title, which featured a revitalized version of Kara Zor-El as Superman’s cousin. Eventually, he would relaunch The Ray’s character during the New 52 era with a four-issue miniseries.

Denys Cowan

Denys Cowan got his inspiration in superheroes by watching the 1950s television series Adventures of Superman starring George Reeves. It wasn’t until he met Derek Dingle in grade school, who introduced him to Jack Kirby’s New Gods, that Cowan’s interest in comic books began.

Cowan’s work at DC comics began with Weird War Tales, but his breakthrough came with Denny O’Neil’s The Question in 1987. Inspired by O’Neil’s interest in Zen philosophy and down and dirty action, Cowan helped recreate the character of Vic Sage from a gumshoe into an introspective martial arts master with ethics. He also helped revive Lady Shiva’s character, making her the most dangerous woman in the DC Universe. Along with Dingle, McDuffie, and Michael Davis, Cowan co-founded Milestone Media and co-created the character Static. When the 2000 animated series Static Shock began, Cowan returned as a producer for its award-winning four-year run. 

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Written By Eric Onkenhout

Source(s): DC Comics

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