06/05/2020
I remember a hat that symbolized Power to the People.
I decided to draw up Dwayne McDuffie’s Static. An amazing character from an amazing creator.
Here’s your ramble warning, because we are going IN!
Most of you either remember or are now just learning about the Static Shock WB cartoon show. Good! I was surprised made it on TV.
For me, I first heard of Static in 1993 when DC Comics worked with Dwayne McDuffie to create Milestone Comics. The idea to bring more black superheroes to part of the comic community that didn’t have many heroes they could feel represented them. I was probably 12 years old.
This was done kind of in direct response to LA Riots and the craziness that was happening at that time. People were rockin the Malcolm X hats and bumpin NWA. Did I mention I grew up in a very mixed community in NJ in the 80s and 90s? I honestly didn’t understand racism as kid. Literally. The concept didn’t make sense. But the media brought awareness. Through music, television, news, COMICS!
The problem with the Milestone books was I couldn’t find them! Back then, you go to just about any corner store and score a couple recent titles off the newsstand. Like a newspaper or magazine. I could walk up and down the main boulevard and find different titles at different stores. Books from Valiant, Malibu, Image, Some local books, and of course the big 2: Marvel and DC. Hell, I could buy at 12 years old (remember, different time), but I could NOT find the Milestone books I had read about in Wizard magazine.
I had soon discovered my hometown had THREE comic shops! And all of them were really cool. Comic stores were really something in the 90s. They had everything ! Well,... almost everything.
Out of three stellar comic shops, only one carried the Milestone books. ONE!
So when the cartoon was launched, I was pumped. Static had been redesigned, but we all knew the Malcolm X hat wasn’t gonna fly on Saturday mornings. But country boys in confederate flag cars were fine. I was surprised and glad some heavy stories made in the cartoon though! Gang violence, racism, poverty, guns, and police. (/1)