10 People Who Changed The Comic Book Industry Forever

8. Dwayne McDuffie

Dwayne McDuffie was one of the finest comic book creators of our time, and a key influencer in hammering home to comics companies that representation matters.

McDuffie, along with co-founders Denys Cowan, Derek Dingle and Michael Davis, founded Milestone Media in 1993. Created with the intent of making a universe more diverse in nature than either one of the big two were offering, Milestone birthed characters like Static (the later star of the Static Shock TV show), Icon, Rocket and Xombi. At first situated in the Dakotaverse, DC saw fit to bring McDuffie and Cowan's creations into the mainstream DCU, further illustrating the influence Milestone Media had in its day.

McDuffie himself was right at the centre of DC during the millennium, contributing heavily to the DC Animated Universe in Static Shock, Justice League and Justice League: Unlimited, and also in the comics themselves, through Firestorm, Justice League (again), and more. McDuffie's productions offered an introduction to the medium for a great many people, and with talk of a Justice League reunion in recent months, it's clear as day for all to see.

The writer sadly passed away in 2011, but his legacy lives on through Milestone and in the soon to be realised Dwayne McDuffie foundation, which you can contribute to here.