Posted in: Comics, DC Comics | Tagged: Blood Syndicate, dc comics, milestone

When DC Demanded A White Character For Milestone's Blood Syndicate

Boogeyman was a character who first appeared in the Milestone Media comic book series Blood Syndicate, published through DC Comics, A title credited as being created by the late Dwayne McDuffie, Ivan Velez Jr. and Denys Cowan, first drawn by Trevor Von Eeden, Ivan would write or co-write all thirty-five issues of the series that saw a team of super-powered characters created by the Big Bang event, described by Velez Jr as "not a team – they're a gang", made up of the remnants of a number of street gangs, including Tech Nine, Flashback, Fade, Dogg, Oro, Dogg, Kwai and more. But as the book continued, initially made up of people of colour, Ivan Velez Jr states that DC Comics then demanded a white character join the team.

So Velez Jr states that he complied, creating Boogieman for Blood Syndicate #2, only to find his credit questioned. Ivan Velez Jr posted to Facebook talking about his initial co-writer on the series, Dwayne MacDuffie.

When he did it the first time, I should have said something… but I was scared to lose the miracle of my situation.
"No. I created Boogieman."
I was left speechless. These people were so kind to me. They basically handed me a comics career on a book that I was beginning to love. When I mentioned it, and Derek mused that they might already owe me some money, I was excited. I was born poor. This new almost-middle class life was new to me. This whole comics career was a strange new world, and the air was making me stronger. At least I thought.
"No. I created Boogieman.". He said it as a matter of fact, and moved on to the next topic. It didn't matter that I followed the edict from the bosses at DC that we must add a White member to the Blood Syndicate. My workaround was a character that could hide their race behind their power… someone rat-like who lived in the sewers; part Ninja Turtle, part-Markie Mark, part hip hop crazy wannabe… a literal hood rat. My sketches made him leaner, and Denys bulked him up and made him scarier… but the rat design, the racing shorts, the boombox… all came from me. His name came from me.
Just like AquaMaria. Just like Dogg. Just like Kwai who came from my old dreams of making my own team before I even met these Milestone folk.
But he said, 'I created that'. And he continued to do so… for everything. By words, in emails, in interviews. He took credit for it all.
And I let him do it that first time. Because I respected him. Because I loved him. Because I was scared of him. And even though he has left a huge legacy, and has become a Saint of Comics, I also know that he stopped being my friend when I was pushed out and dared to leave them.
And when AquaMaria was added to that cartoon, and I was due prorated payment and credit, he did it officially. He said, "I created that." And the world let him.
And I should have spoken up that first time. I should have made it an issue. And because I did not, any chance of my creations given due credit or helping me gain a chance to build generational wealth and legacy has been taken away.
Dwayne said, "I created that." And I shouldn't have let him.

Dwayne McDuffie is no longer alive to defend his position. But in response, Milestone co-founder Michael Davis posted;

Dwayne was a fantastic writer and hella visionary but not a saint.
I was with Dwayne when we searched for Ivan at a convention. Tales from the Closest was a genius piece of work and we wanted that writer at Milestone
Ivan was given Blood Syndicate and told to do what he does.
What he did is what he wrote about in this post. Mr. Velez created those characters.

DC Comics has received a number of challenges in recent years over who owns what, why and when, including this week's from Elliot S! Maggin over the use of Miracle Monday in Superman & Lois. It seems that, right now, we might need a new Neal Adams. Any volunteers?

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