Every year I make a list of the ten best things I did that year. I think everyone should do it. It’s a great way to count your blessings. I do it with my whole family and we all share our favorite moments with each other. It’s fun and can surprise you…sometimes you realize a bad year wasn’t as bad as you thought. And recounting your favorite moments makes focus more on making sure you have more of those in the year to come.
Here’s my list:
1. THE PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION
Back in 2008 I attended Obama’s inauguration. It was awesome, and it was freezing! I was happy to see him re-elected but didn’t feel compelled to freeze again in 2012. But this year was a whole other thing! Neither cold weather or threats of domestic terrorists could keep me away from the Biden-Harris administration taking their rightful place and saving our nation. And we had good seats.
2. THE EMMY AWARDS
Producing the Oscars was awesome. But producing the Emmys is fun. It was so much fun last year working with Jimmy Kimmel, and it was so much fun this year working with Cedric The Entertainer. Here are some clips from the show:
3. THE RETURN OF MILESTONE
I’m so proud of all the amazing things we have in the works at Milestone Media! Three comic book series – Static, Icon and Rocket, and Hardware!
We will double that number to six series next year!
We have two movies in the works – an animated feature and a live action Static feature film!
A giant omnibus reprinting of the classic Milestone books.
A Black History month special issue like none other!
Murals featuring our characters on walls across the country!
And more to come!
4. HONORING OUR KINGS
I got a phone call from the perfect person to collaborate with on a dream project. Oprah Winfrey wanted to do a Father’s Day special celebrating every kind of Black Dad. As a Black Dad, who had an awesome Black Dad, with so many friends who are awesome Black Dads, it was a dream come true. And if that wasn’t enough, my man Sterling K. Brown is the co-host? Yes!
5. FRIDAY NIGHT VIBES WITH TIFFANY
I had so much fun working with Tiffany Haddish and Deon Cole on our weekly talk show FRIDAY NIGHT VIBES! The range of guests we had on the show was incredible!
6. NAACP IMAGE AWARDS
I’ve been producing this show for nine years now and it keeps getting better. It was also one of the most successful awards shows of the year.
7. COOL FUTURE PROJECTS I CAN’T TALK ABOUT YET
These photos are clues, but they haven’t been officially announced yet. But you’ll probably see one or two of them next year!
8. COOL PROJECTS IN THE WORKS
Sometimes you announce a project, but it’s actually been the works for several years. But even though you finally do an announcement, it still could be years before it is seen! Here’s MUSCLE with Vin Diesel starring and F. Gary Gray directing, and the documentary NUMBER ONE ON THE CALL SHEET with Jamie Foxx and Kevin Hart producing and me directing.
9. TALKING TO PEOPLE
People ask me to talk. A lot. I get invited to appear on podcasts, give commentary on television shows, talk to people in every kind of school. Here’s some of the places I talked this year:
Paul Scheer gives me a call and says he wants to interview me in a comic bookstore. That’s an easy yes for me. Then I do a second interview talking Black Panther. So, I’m on two Marvel series this year. Little did I know I would end up as the alias of the Black Panther on the main promotion of the show!
Cornell Brooks and I know each other from when he headed up the NAACP. He’s now teaching the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, where I’ve lectured before. Happy to do it again and the students were great!
Will Haygood, a major writer, says his alma mater, Miami University, where he teaches, wants to give the Freedom Summer of ’64 Award. I gladly accept and we have a great time talking with each other and with the audience!
10. FAMILY TIME DURING PANDEMIC
This has been a very tough year for our family. Even with all the career success, that means nothing in the face of health challenges and death among our family and friends. In tough times like these, family is everything. Fortunately, I’ve got a great one. My children are back in classrooms and doing well. My wife continues to be a pillar of strength, always there for both our immediate family and so many people around us who need a helping hand. Even the isolation of covid had an unexpected benefit. My daughter told me that because we were all together at home every day, she finally figured out what I do for a living.
My takeaway from the year is GRATITUDE. I’m grateful for every bit of good fortune, every positive element in my life. I have seen people who have it all lose what is most important to them, nothing is promised. Thank you to everyone this year and throughout my life who has sent any good vibes my way. They are appreciated.
DC Comics and Milestone Media revealed more details about the anthology they plan to release this coming February during Black History Month, which was initially announced during DC FanDome last month.
Milestones in History will feature Hardware, Icon, Static and more narrating stories “Black trailblazers from across human history,” including Hannibal, the Queen of Sheba, Alexandre Dumas and more.
The 96-page prestige one-shot will cost $9.99 and arrives Feb. 15.
Here’s the full solicitation:
Celebrate Black History Month the Milestone way, as the superpowered citizens of Dakota (including Static, Icon, Rocket, Hardware, and more) narrate the true stories of Black trailblazers from across human history! Witness the military campaigns of Hannibal and the Queen of Sheba, the literary accomplishments of Alexandre Dumas, the World War One dogfights of Eugene Bullard against the legendary Red Baron, and many, many more, all written and drawn by a who’s who of comics and literary talent! On sale February 15th, this 96 page anthology honors Black History from around the world in a beautiful, prestige format book.
Written by REGINALD HUDLIN, ALICE RANDALL, TOURÉ, MICHAEL HARRIOT, and more Art by VARIOUS Cover by CHRISCROSS Variant cover by DOUG BRAITHWAITE $9.99 US | 96 pages | Prestige Format | One-shot
Created in the mid-’90s, Milestone Comics sought to add diversity to the comic book world. The DC Comics imprint returned to the spotlight in 2021 with all-new “Season One” reboots of their most popular characters in titles such as Hardware, Icon,Static. With the recent announcement of a Blood Syndicateseries, fans both old and new are excited to experience the innovation and originality that sets Milestone apart from other comic publishers.
Denys Cowan, one of the founders of Milestone, returned to draw one of the characters he co-created in Hardware: Season One. Alongside writer Brandon Thomas, Cowan participated in a roundtable discussion attended by CBR to discuss future plans for Curtis Metcalf and his armored alter ego, and expounded on some of the actions seen in Hardware #3.
Although the characters of the Milestone Universe have thus far remained in their own worlds, for the most part, there have been signs of potential interaction between the different heroes, most noticeably in relation to Hardware and Static. Cowan all but confirmed that there would be more of this in the future, sharing, “There are plans for the different characters to meet eventually. But we don’t want to do everything right away. We want to establish these characters in their own worlds first.”
“People love crossovers because they’re so much fun,” Thomas added cryptically. “I’m looking forward to doing some of that in the future. I don’t know if I can say just how near that future is, but it’s what I want to see, so I’ll just leave it at that.”
“People are still talking about ‘Worlds Collide,’ where we crossed over into the DC Universe,” Cowan added. “I’ve heard them mention that the Dakotaverse doesn’t usually merge. But fans also look at how we did ‘Worlds Collide’ and are hoping to see more stuff like that. So mergers and crossovers are always on our minds, but we have to be conscious of how we do it. We don’t want our characters coming off looking like they’re less than any other characters in the universe, so we have to make sure they’re positioned the right way. ‘Worlds Collide’ was [Milestone co-founder] Dwayne Mcduffie’s story. He just pointed me in the direction he wanted me to go.”
When asked about the positive critical response the relaunches garnered, Thomas displayed sobering humility. “I always want to do better,” the writer admitted. “I appreciate that people are enjoying the book as it is right now, but my goal is for the third issue to be better than the first issue, and that can be really hard to do. I usually take a little time on release day to check out some reviews here and there. The good thing is that right now I don’t really have the time to do that anymore, which is probably better for me because I’m hard enough on myself.”
Thomas gave an example of the drive he feels to continue growing in his craft. “There’s a specific page in Hardware that I was really upset with myself over,” he said. “Dennis knows all about it. And that’s just my personality. I can’t let that stuff go. I’m going to be talking about that page until the end of time.”
When asked about why he chose to take his character to Singapore in Hardware: Season One#3, Thomas revealed, “I’m obsessed with the architecture of Singapore. Take for example their airport. They have an indoor waterfall inside the airport! The audacity of that kind of architecture feels very superhero-like because this stuff feels like it shouldn’t even exist. The same goes for Tokyo, which looks and feels like a cartoon city. I’ve always liked the look and feel of those places, and when we decided that Curtis was going overseas for this part of his adventure, I instantly thought he should go to Singapore… I wanted to see Dennis draw it, and it came out great! There’s more cool stuff coming out of that part of the story!”
Thomas described how he wanted this version of Curtis Metcalf’s Hardware to be portrayed. “I want him to come across as someone who is very comfortable in his own skin,” he shared. “He is very self-assured, but not in an obnoxious way like Tony Stark. There is something about him that is very no-nonsense. In this version of Hardware, where his identity is not concealed, he feels more selfless. He also has a take it or leave it type of attitude, like he knows beyond a shadow of a doubt who he is and what’s important to him. He’s drawn boundaries around himself, and is very clear about what happens when those boundaries are crossed.”
Hardware’s self-imposed boundaries are definitely crossed in the new series, particularly in the actions of primary antagonist Edwin Alva, and Asher Sim, a former partner of Alva’s whose loyalties are brought into question in the third issue. All of this will expose these characters to a side of Metcalf that they certainly don’t want to see and presents the question of whether Hardware can really be considered a hero in light of his extremely aggressive methods.
“Hardware is a good guy… But he’s a little dangerous,” Thomas clarified. “There’s an edge to him, and you don’t want to get on his bad side. That’s the Curtis I’m trying to portray: a person who is as comfortable in his lab in Dakota as he is in Singapore interacting with Asher and going head to head with Alva. This is leading up to some really cool stuff, like the reintroduction of a big-time Hardware villain who will be returning shortly and causing big problems going into the end of this arc.”
Hardware: Season One #3 by Brandon Thomas, Denys Cowan, Bill Sienkiewicz, and Rob Leigh is on sale on Nov. 30 from DC Comics.
Wil Haygood and Reginald Hudlin had a Q&A after Hudlin received the Freedom Summer of ’64 Award. Photo by Lexi Whitehead | The Miami Student
Film producer and director Reginald Hudlin became the sixth recipient of Miami University’s Freedom Summer of ’64 Award during a presentation in Hall Auditorium on Nov. 7.
Each year, Miami presents the award to a leader in civil rights and social justice. The name references the Mississippi Summer Project of 1964, when the Western College for Women, now a part of Miami, trained 800 college students to register Black voters in the South.
Hudlin’s career in film began in 1990 with “House Party,” a film he wrote and directed about Black teens throwing a party.
Since then, he has worked as a producer on Quentin Tarantino’s 2012 movie “Django Unchained” and directed and produced “Marshall,” a 2017 film featuring Chadwick Boseman as Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Supreme Court Justice.
President Greg Crawford presented the award to Hudlin alongside Vice President for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion Cristina Alcalde.
“This is only the sixth time that Miami has had the honor of presenting this award to an extraordinary individual who has dedicated their life to advance diversity and inclusion, changing the fabric of our society,” Crawford said. “Each time I’ve presented this award, I have been humbled by the courage, the innovation and tenacity of the recipient.”
Hudlin thanked the university for the award and spoke about the history of Freedom Summer.
“That Freedom Summer is an incredible legacy … and I am humbled to be given this award,” Hudlin said. “The work I do is my lifetime’s commitment. It’s a joy to do every day, and it’s great to be acknowledged for doing that work.”
Author and Miami alumnus Wil Haygood led a discussion with Hudlin after he was presented with the award. Attendees also received copies of Haygood’s newest book, “Colorization: One Hundred Years of Black Films in a White World.”
“The man who I am about to share the stage with this evening has been a profound influence on changing how we view cinema in this nation,” Haygood said. “Reginald Hudlin’s entire career has been about correcting what was done 100 years ago.”
Hudlin and Haygood discussed a range of topics from Hudlin’s specific projects to the state of Black cinema and education today.
“We’re currently in an incredible upswing where there are more Black movies being made with bigger budgets, wider distribution, bigger audiences,” Hudlin said. “But it takes 20 year cycles. Things get better over time.”
Bottom of Form
This year, the Freedom Summer award kicks off Miami’s inaugural Freedom Film Festival, a weeklong event screening a different movie in Black film history each night in Leonard Theatre, Peabody Hall.
by Carole Johnson, university news and communications
Miami University presented major motion film producer/director Reginald Hudlin with the Freedom Summer of ’64 Award on Sunday, Nov. 7, for his contributions in bringing the Black image to screen. The award is bestowed by Miami each year upon a distinguished leader who has inspired the nation to advance civil rights and social justice. In Oxford in 1964 — at what was then the Western College for Women but is now part of Miami University’s Western campus — Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee leader Bob Moses led the training of 800 college students to travel to the South to register Black voters. Miami strives to honor the legacy of those who worked for civil rights and social justice and, in the case of Michael Schwerner, 24, James Chaney, 21, and Andrew Goodman, 20, Freedom Summer activists who gave their lives in service to humanity.
Oscar-nominated film producer and director Reginald Hudlin just received the Freedom Summer of ’64 Award from Miami University for his contributions in bringing the Black image to the screen.
Hudlin was honored on Nov. 7 by the Oxford, Ohio-based university. The university bestows the annual award to a distinguished leader who has inspired the nation to advance civil rights and social justice. Miami aims to honor the legacy of those who worked for civil rights and social justice who trained in Oxford in 1964.
Previous recipients have included esteemed individuals like US Rep. John Lewis, radio talk-show host Joe Madison, former president of the League of Women Voters Carolyn Jefferson-Jenkins, and NBA executive and basketball icon Wayne Embry and his late wife, Terri Embry.
“These are superheroes who risked their lives,” stated Hudlin of those who trained in Oxford in 1964. “I feel very humbled in that in any way what I do can be compared to what those heroes did. I am inspired and feel a sense of mission.”
Hudlin’s recognition comes as the university starts its inaugural Freedom Film Festival today through Nov. 11 to celebrate the evolutions of Black representation in film.
During the event, Miami University alumnus and Broadway Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence Wil Haygood will be featured, along with the release of his new book, Colorization: One Hundred Years of Black Films in a White World (Random House, October 2021).
Reflecting on Hudlin’s work, Haygood said, “Hollywood is a better place because of his monumental contributions when it comes to equality and representation.”
Miami University President Gregory Crawford added, “We are so honored to present Reginald Hudlin with the Freedom Summer of ’64 Award. His work and passion to promote diversity in the film industry and bring Black American stories to the forefront have advanced justice and equality on a national and global scale.”
Founder and president of Hudlin Entertainment, Hudlin is known as a “renaissance man” for his work in film, television, and comic books. He is cited for his unique approaches as a writer, producer, director, and executive. He wrote and directed his first film, House Party, in 1990. He produced Quentin Tarantino’s2012 film, Django Unchained, which earned an Academy Award nomination for best picture.
He directed and produced the 2017 film, Marshall, starring Chadwick Boseman as Thurgood Marshall, the nation’s first Black Supreme Court justice.
Most recently, Hudlin has written Martian Manhunter comics for DC Entertainment and is slated to produce ValZod—a story of a Black Kryptonian who finds refuge on Earth 2—alongside Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society. He also is known for his work on other films like Boomerang and Bebe’s Kids.
Last year, he became the first-ever Black producer for the Emmy Awards. He also served as president of Black Entertainment Television (BET). He currently is a partner of Milestone Media, which develops a line of Black-oriented comics in partnership with DC Comics.
Reginald Hudlin is unique in the entertainment business because of his success as a writer, producer, director and executive. To quote cultural critic Jimi Izrael, “Hudlin is a modern-day Gordon Parks, a true monster in the game who totally re-did the blueprint: what some people used to call a renaissance man. I dig him because he made me think outside of the box. Hudlin writes and directs movies, pens a comic book, and he was running BET. That’s multi-tasking for your ass.”
THE HUDLIN FAMILY
Peter, Samuel and Joseph Hudlin were slaves on a plantation in Virginia. Samuel made friends with the captain of a ship who smuggled him on board in a barrel and dropped him off in New Brunswick, Canada. He settled there, bought land and raised a family. Canada had abolished slavery before Samuel arrived, so he was safe there. He also earned enough money to send for some of his family members, which had to be done discreetly and diplomatically since many Canadians were hostile to people of African descent coming to Canada.
Thanks to the compassion of their owner, Peter Hudlin and at least one of his brothers, Joseph, were allowed to keep some of the money they earned.
Joseph left with his earnings, without buying his freedom, and settled in Chicago in 1854. At the time there were many free African Americans, and he was relatively safe from capture and return to slavery. Joseph was a conductor on the Underground Railroad where slaves ate, rested and prepared for a life in Chicago or a trip to Canada (sometimes from a ship leaving from Chicago), or elsewhere.
Joseph Hudlin and his wife, Anna Elizabeth, housed families that were left homeless after the fire. Photo: Courtesy of the Chicago History Museum
Joseph became the head custodian at the Chicago Board of Trade. When he heard the Board of Trade caught fire, he ran in to burning building and got important documents out of the vault. He and his wife Anna Elizabeth providing shelter for many neighbors, which earned them the title “the Angels of the Chicago Fire”.
‘The Water Tower Survived. We Will Survive.’ — The Buildings and Objects that Outlasted the Chicago Fire | Chicago Fire | Chicago Stories https://interactive.wttw.com/chicago-stories/chicago-fire/the-water-tower-survived-we-will-survive-the-buildings-and-objects-that-outlasted-the-chicago-fire#.YHyLYGBeRM4.twitter
Peter Hudlin with his mother Sarah and his wife Nancy Jane Rutledge.
Peter Hudlin used some of his earnings to buy his freedom and left Virginia. He met his future wife, the Cherokee-born Nancy Jane Rutledge, in Kentucky, and then went to visit his brother in Chicago. Peter eventually settled in Chicago.
Peter Hudlin was a conductor on an underground railroad in St. Louis. He also held “prayer meetings” in town as a way to circumvent the laws against teaching black people to read. Peter’s eldest daughter, Sarah, kept watch for strangers.
When the Supreme Court ruled on the infamous “Dred Scott” case, Peter Hudlin joined the Knights of Tabor, a secret society that included a separate and even more secretive inner circle that planned, organized and prepared to end chattel slavery through force of arms. The first battle of the guerilla war was planned for Atlanta, Georgia. John Brown’s raid and subsequent public reaction, along with the enlistment of African Americans into the Union Army, let to the postponement of the raid.
Peter Hudlin’s son, Richard Hudlin (1858-1981) became a member of the National Negro League during and after Reconstruction. He worked with Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois to resist the return of white supremacy. Meanwhile, he was a publisher and newspaper writer in St. Louis for the Globe-Democrat and a German-language paper. Richard grew up near “Germantown” and spoke the language fluently. He also became the postmaster of Clayton, a very well to do neighborhood of St. Louis.
Richard was mounted Shakspearian plays as an actor and director; and was also a filmmaker.
Other notable ancestors include Richard Hudlin, a beloved instructor at the St. Louis’ Sumner High School. Sumner was one of those legendary all-black schools across the country that educated generations of high achievers.
But tennis is Richard’s true calling. Richard played tennis for the University of Chicago from 1926 to 1928. He served as captain of the 1928 team, establishing himself as the first African American to serve as captain of a tennis team at a “Big Ten” college. This accomplishment is made even more remarkable when one realizes that Richard was the only Black man on the team from 1926-1928.
But he didn’t stop there. In 1945 he filed a lawsuit against the MUNY Tennis Association of St. Louis to open public tennis facilities to all players, most particularly to players of color. He won the legal battle, thus enabling Blacks to participate in tournaments at St. Louis municipal facilities.
Champions Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe spent time with Mr. Hudlin in St. Louis honing their skills at the Armory tennis courts. On the slick, lightning-fast wood surface Arthur was transformed from a back-court player into a serve-volley specialist, a game that would serve him well during his professional career. Arthur completed his final year of High School at Sumner High under Mr. Hudlin’s tutelage.
Richard Hudlin passed away in 1976, living long enough to see both Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe win the U.S. Open and the prestigious Wimbledon titles. There are several tennis courts dedicated to his efforts.
https://fb.watch/4YhquoC12C/
REGINALD’S HOMETOWN
Reginald Hudlin is the youngest of three sons born and raised in economically poor but culturally rich town of East St. Louis Illinois.
Reginald grew up two doors down from the childhood home of Tina Turner, and two doors down on the other side from Brother Joe May, a famous gospel singer, placing him two doors away from heaven and hell.
Warrington Hudlin Sr., Reginald’s father, ran his own insurance agency and was involved in a wide array of civic charities. He was the founding president of the local State Community College.
Helen Hudlin, Reginald’s mother, worked in special education her whole life, from running a mental health center to designing and implementing teaching programs for gifted and learning-disabled children at a local magnet school. She worked full time while raising three boys and earning a PhD.
In the 1960s, dancer, choreographer and anthropologist Katherine Dunham arrived in East St. Louis to create a Performing Arts Training Center where local kids could study Dunham technique, African drumming from Senegalese master (and father of pop star Akon) Mor Thiam, martial arts and take college prep courses from brilliant academics like political author Shelby Steele and novelist Henry Dumas.
Ms. Dunham’s programs had a transformative effect on the community and led directly to Reginald’s eldest brother attending Yale, which in turn led to Reginald attending Harvard.
Reginald graduated from Harvard with magna cum laude in Visual and Environmental Studies. His senior thesis was a 20-minute short called HOUSE PARTY!
REGINALD’S CAREER:
That short film led to a deal with New Line Cinema to write and direct a feature film version of HOUSE PARTY, which starred Kid and Play, Martin Lawrence and Robin Harris. The film won the prestigious Filmmakers Trophy and the Best Cinematography Award at the Sundance Film Festival and also received the Clarence Muse Youth Award and a New Visions, New Voices Award from the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame.
HOUSE PARTY is one of the most profitable films of its decade and was critically acclaimed, receiving reviews from film critic Roger Ebert, the New York Times, Time, Newsweek and USA Today. The film launched a franchise, inspiring three sequels; a Saturday morning animated series and a comic book. When New Line Pictures successfully raised 100 million dollars in a public stock offering, HOUSE PARTY was the only film touted in their advertising campaign to the financial markets.
Reginald then directed BOOMERANG, a romantic comedy starring Eddie Murphy, Halle Berry, Martin Lawrence, David Alan Grier, Chris Rock, Robin Givens, Grace Jones and Eartha Kitt.
BOOMERANG made 130 million dollars worldwide, and the soundtrack by LA Reid and Babyface went double platinum, spawning one of longest running #1 songs in Billboard history, Boyz II Men singing END OF THE ROAD. That soundtrack also introduced the world to multi-platinum singer Toni Braxton.
While directing BOOMERANG, Reginald also wrote and produced BEBE’S KIDS, the first African American animated film. BEBE’S KIDS was based on the comic routines of the late Robin Harris, who played “Pop” in HOUSE PARTY.
Hudlin then created COSMIC SLOP, a Twilight Zone style anthology hosted by George Clinton for HBO. The special went on to win two CableAce Awards and is still taught in universities across the country.
Sean Hannity referenced Cosmic Slop during Obama’s re-election campaign. Since one of the stories, SPACE TRADERS, was written by former Harvard Law professor Derrick Bell, who was one of Barack Obama’s mentors, Hannity then researched Hudlin’s donations to the Obama campaign and saw a wide range conspiracy at work. Hudlin views this accusation with pride.
Expanding into new genres, Hudlin directed THE GREAT WHITE HYPE, a boxing satire starring Samuel L. Jackson, Jeff Goldblum, Damon Wayans, Jamie Foxx and Jon Lovitz.
That film was followed by THE LADIES MAN with Tim Meadows, Will Farrell and Julianne Moore and SERVING SARA with Matthew Perry, Elizabeth Hurley and Cedric The Entertainer.
In one year, Reginald directed the pilot for EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS, which went on to become a long running hit series; was an executive producer for THE BOONDOCKS, which went to become a successful series; and was offered the position of being the first President of Entertainment for BET, the biggest Black media company in the world.
Reginald is one of the few filmmakers to also serve as an executive at a high corporate level. During his more than three-year tenure as the first President of Entertainment for Black Entertainment Television, Hudlin created some of the highest rated shows in the history of the network including the award-winning KEYSHIA COLE: THE WAY IT IS; AMERICAN GANGSTER; and SUNDAY BEST. Under Hudlin’s stewardship, BET had its first ever telethon, which supported Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. He created the BET HIP HOP AWARDS and the BET HONORS – two successful network franchises. He created a profitable home entertainment division for the network and completely rebuilt the news division, which went on to win 13 awards in two years.
After leaving BET, Hudlin was a producer and director of THE BERNIE MAC SHOW. Hudlin also directed episodes of sitcoms like THE LAST O.G., BLACK TUESDAY, MODERN FAMILY, THE OFFICE, THE MIDDLE, NEW GIRL and ARE WE THERE YET?, as well as dramas like BONES, MURDER IN THE FIRST, PSYCH, RAISING THE BAR and CITY OF ANGELS.
Hudlin has produced the NAACP Image Awards for nine years, showcasing Hollywood’s biggest stars in film, television and music. Last year’s edition was a ratings smash for CBS.
Hudlin produced Quentin Tarantino’s film DJANGO UNCHAINED, starring Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christoph Waltz, Samuel L. Jackson and Don Johnson. The film has won numerous awards, including two Golden Globe Awards and two Oscars, and it has become one of the top grossing Westerns of all time.
Hudlin adapted Quentin Tarantino’s original screenplay for DJANGO UNCHAINED into a graphic novel. He is the executive editor of the direct to comic book sequel, DJANGO/ZORRO.
Another one of Reginald’s dreams came true when he was commissioned to write an award-winning run of THE BLACK PANTHER comic book series for Marvel Comics. Hudlin’s revival of the character was a commercial and critical success, and introduced the world to Shuri, who was Hudlin’s creation. Hudlin went on to adapt his run into a six-episode animated series, which became the top selling DVD in the Marvel Knights home video line. Hudlin also wrote an award-winning run of SPIDER MAN, Marvel’s flagship character.
Hudlin is a partner in Milestone Media, a comic book company that develops and produces properties for a wide range of media.
Milestone Media starts publishing with MILESTONE RETURNS, follow by season one of STATIC; ICON & ROCKET and HARDWARE. Meanwhile, Randy McKinnon has been hired to write the live action feature film adaptation of STATIC that is produced by Reginald Hudlin, Denys Cowan and Michael B. Jordan. Hudlin and Denys Cowan are also developing an animated feature film exploration of the Milestone Universe to be written by Brandon Thomas.
Reginald’s contributions to the comic book medium led to him being honored with the Icon Award at the San Diego Comic Con, which is one of the highest honors in the art form.
One of Reginald’s bucket list items was fulfilled when he produced THE BLACK MOVIE SOUNDTRACK in association with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences at the Hollywood Bowl. Hosted by Craig Robinson and featuring an all-star musical line up, it was a critical and commercial success. It has become an event that happens every other year.
That achievement led to Hudlin producing the 6th Governor’s Awards for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, honoring Maureen O’Hara, Jean-Claude Carriere, Hideo Misayaki and Harry Belafonte.
He didn’t stop there. He went on to complete a crowning achievement in his third collaboration with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, executive producing The 88th Academy Awards. Reginald is the second African American to produce the show.
Reginald’s contributions led to him becoming a board member of the Academy’s Board of Governors.
He directed the legal thriller MARSHALL, starring Chadwick Boseman as Thurgood Marshall, with Josh Gad, Kate Hudson and Sterling K. Brown. The Diane Warren written/Andra Day performed song for the film was nominated for Best Song at the Oscars. Chadwick’s performance in MARSHALL is considered one of his best.
Hudlin then directed THE BLACK GODFATHER, an award-winning documentary streaming on Netflix. The film features Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Kamala Harris, Cicely Tyson, Jamie Foxx, David Geffen, Bill Withers, and many more, all telling the secret legend of Clarence Avant.
Hudlin’s latest directorial effort is SAFETY, a sports drama based on a true story that debuted on Disney Plus and is a critically acclaimed hit.
Hudlin has produced the award-winning special BEAR WITNESS, TAKE ACTION for YouTube. Using roundtables of experts, short films by young filmmakers, music and more, the show explores the causes of recent civil unrests and proposes solutions to heal our nation. The show was so successful it has become a series of specials for YouTube.
Reginald became the first African American to produce the Emmys with host Jimmy Kimmel, which was a critical smash.
Reginald’s second year producing the Emmys with host Cedric the Entertainer was a critical and commercial smash, with ratings up 17%.
Reginald produced HONORING OUR KINGS: CELEBRATING BLACK FATHERHOOD, a two-hour special hosted by Oprah Winfrey and Sterling K. Brown for OWN.
He is also producing FRIDAY NIGHT VIBES, a weekly talk show featuring Tiffany Haddish.
He is also directing PHAT TUESDAY: THE ERA OF HIP HOP COMEDY, a three-part documentary for Amazon. Hudlin has two more documentaries lined up: A feature length film on the life of Sidney Poitier with Oprah Winfrey attached as producer; and NUMBER ONE ON THE CALL SHEET, a pair of feature films produced by Kevin Hart and Jamie Foxx exploring the life of black movie stars in today’s Hollywood.
OTHER PROJECTS
Hudlin is producing MUSCLE starring Vin Diesel and directed by F. Gary Gray for STX.
Hudlin is also executive producer on the latest upcoming remake of HOUSE PARTY and the animated feature film BLAZING SAMURAI.
Hudlin executive produced the revival of SHOWTIME AT THE APOLLO. The special featured elements of the Apollo’s weekly Amateur Night competition, which has been running for 82 years and helped launch the careers of artists such as James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Lauryn Hill, Michael Jackson and The Jackson Five and D’Angelo. The show was hosted by Steve Harvey.
Hudlin produced RIDE, a road comedy with the feature film debut of Cedric the Entertainer.
The next film Hudlin produced was Gerard McMurray’s BURNING SANDS, starring Trevor Jackson, Alfre Woodard, Steve Harris and Trevante Rhodes for Netflix.
Hudlin also produced EMPEROR, the true story of Shields Green, who escaped from slavery and went on to become a freedom fighter.
Hudlin is also a founding partner of New Nation Networks, a joint venture with Google to create premium content for the web.
https://ispot.tv/a/AOS9
Reginald has directed television commercials for McDonalds, Burger King, AT&T and the Illinois State Lottery.
He’s also directed videos for George Clinton, Heavy D and The Boyz and other artists.
Reginald has been a featured speaker at Vermont Law School; the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University; Yale University; the Montclair Art Museum; The Directors Guild; the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences; the American Bible Society; the San Diego Comic Con; and more.
Hudlin has been honored by the NAACP, The American Civil Liberties Union, The United Negro College Fund, The Sundance Film Festival, The American Film Institute, The San Diego Comic Con, The African American Film Critics Association, and many more venerable organizations.
The return of the Milestone Universe’s return continues in Icon and Rocket: Season One #4, the next installment in writer, director, and producer Reginald Hudlin and superstar artist Doug Braithwaite’s tale of power and responsibility stretching from the boardrooms of corporate America to the jungles of South America and the depths of deep space! If you’ve ever thought there were certain things that a superhero story just couldn’t do, it might be time to start thinking different…
Icon and Rocket: Season One #4
At this point, it feels like there’s nobody on Earth who isn’t hunting for Icon and Rocket—and as powerful as they may be, there’s always a way to get to someone’s friends or family. Does Icon even have the strength to put the forces they’ve unleashed back in the bottle? And more crucially, does he want to?
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Reginald Hudlin & Leon Chills
Artist: Doug Braithwaite & Andrew Currie
Standard Cover Artist(s): Taurin Clarke
Variant Cover Artist(s): Doug Braithwaite
Format: Miniseries (4 of 6)
Page Count/Cover Price: 32-pages/$3.99
Icon and Rocket find themselves on the run in Icon and Rocket: Season One #4 out on the stand and digital platforms on November 2, 2021, from DC Comics.
The Milestone Universe might be about to have its ownJustice League Dakota, featuring Static, Icon, Rocket, and Hardware. Although technically a part of the broader DC Universe, the Dakotaverse has focused on itself with interconnected storylines and characters.
Since the 90s’, Milestone Media has had their own cinematic universe in the form of comics. Thoughtfully constructed by the team of writers and artists, the city of Dakota has always had compelling world-building. Similar to Marvel’s version of New York City, superheroes like Static and Icon coexist with very different ongoing stories and personal lives. However, major components of each title overlap, such as the Big Bang which gave birth to an army of super-powered villains referred to as “bang babies.” There have been occasions when Dakota’s protectors have teamed up, and it seems like the rebooted Milestone is ramping up to a new crossover.
During DC FanDome, it was announced by Denys Cowan and Reginald Hudlin that the Dakotaverse cast of superheroes will share stories in the near future. At the moment, characters are already crossing over into each other’s issues, as inventor Curtis Metcalf AKA Hardware provided Virgil Hawkins with his first costume to wear as Static. With such an interaction occurring this early on in Static: Season One, readers have reason to look forward to the day when all the Milestone heroes share a panel. The Milestone portion of DC FanDome went onto announce that an animated Dakotaverse team-up movie is in the works, with a teaser image illustrated by comic book artist, Bill Sienkiewicz.
As Static: Season One, Icon and Rocket: Season One, and Hardware: Season One are setting the stage for potential adaptations, there’s a strong chance that they will tease what fans can expect in the animated film. Since each series is beginning with a six-issue first season, a crossover could come soon after their season finales as a climatic event. With Virgil already knowing Curtis Metcalf, it’s just a matter of time until he meets Raquel Ervin AKA Rocket, who seems to attend his high school. Once Icon has joined the picture, the potential Justice League Dakota will finally be assembled.
The last time that the Dakota heroes were united was in Milestone Forever which released in 2010, opening the door for them to join the DC Universe. However, the Dakotaverse has surprisingly never had an official team involving Static and Icon among others. Since the Milestone titles are only beginning, there is still potential for a more expansive roster. Recently, Static’s friend Daisy discovered she has powers of her own from the Big Bang. As Static has also introduced Richie, it might be in the cards for him to eventually become his animated counterpart’s alter ego, Gear. Whether or not the team refers to itself as the Justice League Dakota, Static is certain to have some ideas for a name.
WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Static: Season One #3, on sale now.
With DC’s recent announcement of a new series for the superhero team known as the Blood Syndicate, now seems a prudent time to go over the origins of this team and how they might be shaping up in the current Dakotaverse. Much like Static, these groups of metahumans were affected by the “Big Bang” transforming them into uniquely powered individuals. Some of them would band together to try and fight for their city, but a rotating roster and lack of a cohesive vision for what the group stood for led to the team’s eventual disintegration.
Hopefully, this time around the Blood Syndicate will be formed with a more unified front.
Debuting in Blood Syndicate #1 (by Dwayne McDuffie, Ivan Velez, Jr., Denys Cowan) the Blood Syndicate was actually the first real case of unity between Dakota’s many street gangs. Or rather, what remained of them. The initial “Big Bang” killed a great many instead of mutating them and the survivors of this event coalesced their numbers to create a new street gang that would watch out for people like them. They would be a more violent brand of hero, willing to kill whoever got in their way. Though this was usually criminals.
Eventually, the team would disband due to infighting and quite a few deaths among their members. The fact that the team never had an idea of what they were fighting for also lent to its dissolution, especially considering it held more volatile members like Holocaust who would eventually become a villain. Holocaust was also recently shown in the new Static series and was already trying to organize the new metahuman population of Dakota City, but the military intervened before serious progress could be made.
Regardless of interference, in Static: Season One #3 (by Vita Ayala, Nikolas Draper-Ivey, ChrisCross, Will Quintana, AndWorld Design) Holocaust managed to assemble his own gang shortly after. It is never stated that this is the Blood Syndicate and given Holocaust’s more villainous portrayal, it doesn’t seem likely that this group he assembled is the titular team. That does not mean it isn’t possible though. Holocaust only managed to assemble this gang within a day of the military raid, and they may not have settled on a name yet.
If that is the case, then fans may have to anticipate a more villainous version of the group. Most likely this would lead to a redemption arc of sorts as its main cast pulls away from whatever Holocaust has in mind. But there is a more positive alternative to this.
Holocaust has already proven willing to sell out his fellow Bang Babies if the pressure is on, leaving them to deal with possible incarceration while he escaped. It’s possible that those Bang Babies who know this have heard of his new gang and realize that it is merely a tool for him to seize control of the city. The new Blood Syndicate might be formed as a response to that, a more positive group of heroes for Bang Babies to join and protect Dakota City with their new powers instead of oppressing it.
