On Friday, at San Diego Comic-Con as a part of DC’s Jim Lee and Friends panel, Milestone co-founder, Denys Cowan, and DC Chief Creative Officer and Publisher, Jim Lee, announced the forthcoming documentary MILESTONE GENERATIONS, a film directed by Justice A. Whitaker. The film will be available to stream on HBO Max beginning July 29.
An extended trailer for the film was debuted exclusively to Comic-Con audiences and can be found here.
Narrated by award winning actor and musician Cliff ‘Method Man’ Smith, MILESTONE GENERATIONS chronicles the relaunch of Milestone
Comics and Milestone Media’s mission to address not only the lack of superheroes of color in comics, but also the lack of storytellers of color creating the content.Milestone Media — co-founded in 1993 by artist Denys Cowan, writers Dwayne McDuffie and Michael T. Davis and BLACK ENTERPRISE Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer, Derek T. Dingle — collaborated with DC to create the fictional city of Dakota, and some of the most unique and innovative characters in comics, such as Static, Icon, Hardware, Blood Syndicate and more. Last year Cowan, alongside Milestone Media partner and award-winning producer, Reginald Hudlin
, relaunched Milestone Comics with DC to continue the Milestone mission in the future.The film examines the founders’ trajectory throughout the last 30 years, detailing their unwavering commitment, passion and perseverance to rise to the top of the comic book industry as Black creators. With tenacity and dynamic artistic expression, the creators of Milestone Media continue to influence culture and ignite revolutionary change through characters that reflect the lived, Black experience.
MILESTONE GENERATIONS connects to the present industry
need to identify, support and elevate emerging diverse writers and artists within the comic book world, highlighting The Milestone Initiative, a program from DC, Milestone Media, Warner Bros. Discovery and Ally that aims to empower the next generation of Black and diverse comic book creators.Cartoonist and writer, Ivan Velez Jr. (“Tales of the Closet,” “Blood Syndicate,” “Ballad of Wham Kabam”); DC Publisher and Chief Creative Officer, Jim Lee; writer and widow of Dwayne McDuffie, Charlotte (Fullerton) McDuffie; DC Senior Art Director, Curtis King Jr.; voice actor, Phil LaMarr (“Static Shock!,” “Justice League,” “Justice League Unlimited,” “Samurai Jack”); former DC President and Publisher, Paul Levitz
; journalist and author, Angélique Roché (“My Super Hero is Black”); Milestone Media artist and color editor, Jason Scott Jones; and filmmaker and author, Dr. Sheena Howard (“Black Comics: Politics of Race and Representation”) are among those interviewed for the project.The film was produced by Courageous Studios — working with DC and Ally, the presenting sponsor — and was directed by Justice A. Whitaker (“Restrictions Apply”/Vice News, Untitled Full Circle Documentary/WestBrook Studios).
Learn more about The Milestone Initiative here.