Last week saw the debut of Icon & Rocket: Season One #1, which reintroduced the beloved DC duo to a whole new generation of readers. The relaunch is part of a larger Milestone Returns initiative, which has already been confirmed to include characters such as Static Shock, Hardware, and more. Even with the epic note that Milestone Returns has started out on, there are no shortage of additional characters from the imprint that fans want to see reintroduced — and according to the team behind Icon & Rocket, anything is possible. During a recent virtual press conference with Icon & Rocket co-writers Reginald Hudlin and Leon Chills, as well as series artist Doug Braithwaithe, the team was asked if fans can expect any additional Milestone character appearances across Season One.
“Well, we’re still writing, so anything can happen,” Hudlin teased.
When asked specificially about memorable Milestone character Buckwild, Mercenary Man, Hudlin hinted that it certainly isn’t out of the realm of possibility for him to appear.
“We love Buckwild. I wouldn’t be surprised if he shows up, but I don’t know where, what book, which character,” Hudlin added. “But who doesn’t love Buckwild? Who doesn’t love going Buckwild?”
“Yeah. Buckwild definitely pops off the page,” Chills added, before addressing the possibility of additional cameos. “But the answer is yes, for sure. Yeah, 100%.”
Later on in the conference, Hudlin spoke about the experience of relaunching Milestone, and teased that there is a “big picture” already in mind for the larger initiative, while also letting each series stand on its own.0COMMENTS
“Well, it really started with me, Denys and Derek, when we decided to relaunch Milestone Media as a company,” Hudlin explained. “One of the first things we said was, we’re not going to be a nostalgia company, stuck in the past, talks about the old days. Milestone was successful because it was so cutting edge. So if we’re going to replicate the successful formula of why Milestone works, we had to be cutting edge for this generation, which meant finding new voices, like Leon; like Vita and Nikolas who’s writing and drawing Static Shock; like Brandon, who’s writing Hardware. Having these new voices in there, it’s like, Denys and I had a pretty strong vision of what we wanted these characters to do and how to reintroduce them to the world. But [we’re] so happy to see these writers take those initial ideas and just really run with them and just take them to new, exciting places and extraordinary executions. So it’s just a great squad of people, all working. And there’s a big picture that we have in mind for all the storylines and characters will intersect at certain times, at the same time, you can read it each individual book series and enjoy it, and not feel like, ‘Oh, I don’t know what’s going on.’ You’ll know what’s going on as you read Icon & Rocket, but we think as you read Icon & Rocket, you’ll want to see these other books.”
Icon & Rocket: Season One #1 is now available wherever comics are sold. Issue #2 will be released on August 24th.
I haven’t written an ongoing comic book series since BLACK PANTHER. While most of my timein the comic book world has been focused on managing the rebirth of the entire Milestone Universe, there was one book I wanted to personally write. Check out this preview of ICON &ROCKET! Book in stores Tuesday, July 27 th .
SNEAK PEEK: Preview DC Comics ICON & ROCKET SEASON ONE #1
By Carlos Morales
Long ago, the stranded alien known as Arnus gave up hope of returning to his home planet. Tragically, he’d also realized that his adopted home of Earth was beyond saving. Content to waste away his long life in a human guise, Arnus was past caring…until the day a young woman named Raquel Ervin crashed into his life. Soon she’d convinced him to put his incredible power to work again as the heroic Icon…and to transform her into his sidekick, Rocket! But an innocent question on Rocket’s part-Why can’t we do something about the drugs on my corner?-quickly set a chain of events in motion leading to the pair becoming the most hunted beings on Earth…and they’re not just being pursued by Earthlings, either! Writer, director, and producer Reginald Hudlin (Black Panther: Who Is the Black Panther?) and superstar artist Doug Braithwaite unleash a tale of power and responsibility that will stretch 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…
Cedric the Entertainer, star of hit CBS comedy series The Neighborhood, has been tapped by the network and the Television Academy to host the 73rd Emmy Awards on Sept. 19. The live ceremony will be held in-person at the Microsoft Theater with a limited audience of nominees and their guests.
Reginald Hudlin and Ian Stewart, who executive produced the well received virtual 2020 Emmys on ABC, and Hamish Hamilton, who directed it, are returning in the same capacity this year, with Done+Dusted and Hudlin Entertainment producing. The ceremony will air on CBS and will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.
This marks Cedric the Entertainer’s first time hosting the Emmys but he has extensive experience emceeing such ceremonies as the American Music Awards, the Critics’ Choice Television Awards, NAACP Image Awards, the Soul Train Awards and the TV Land Awards.
“Since I was a little boy huddled up next to my grandmother, television has always been my reliable friend, so it is an enormous honor for me to host this year’s Emmy Awards,” Cedric the Entertainer said. “Throughout the roller-coaster of a year that we have all lived through, television has helped us stay connected as a society like never before. It not only entertained us, but as it always has, it helped to open our eyes, educate us, and hopefully brought about a better understanding of who we are as a people. I can’t wait to take the stage to celebrate all of the great shows and performances that made us laugh, cry, dance and sing over the past year.”
Cedric the Entertainer also made a video announcement of his hosting the 2021 Emmys. You can watch it below.
This is only the third time in the past decade that the Emmy Awards are not hosted by a late-night personality on the network that carries the show. The other two times also featured stars of one of the host network’s top comedy series, How I Met Your Mother’s Neil Patrick Harris (CBS, 2013) and Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Andy Samberg (Fox, 2015).
Cedric the Entertainer’s Emmy hosting gig also makes for a seamless scheduling transition and creates strong promotional opportunities as The Neighborhood opens CBS’ Monday lineup the night after the awards ceremony.
“Over the past year, television has united us as a community more than ever, bringing vital information and inspiring entertainment to viewers at a critical time in our lives,” said Jack Sussman, EVP, Specials, Music, Live Events and Alternative Programming for CBS. “Now, who better to bring television audiences together to celebrate the industry’s top achievements than our very own King of Comedy, Cedric the Entertainer.”
Like last year, nominations for the 73rd Emmy Awards will be a virtual event. It will stream live tomorrow, July 13, at 8:30 AM PT on Emmys.com.
“Cedric the Entertainer has been a wonderful friend to the Television Academy and our Foundation, and we are thrilled that he will bring his unique comedic perspective to the Emmy ceremony and telecast that marks our return to celebrating nominees and presenters live and in-person,” said Frank Scherma, Chairman and CEO of the Academy.
This marks Done+Dusted’s fourth time producing the Emmys and a second teaming with Hudlin and his Hudlin Entertainment after the Covid-impacted 2020 ceremony.
“Last year, the restrictions of Covid freed me and the awesome talents at Done+ Dusted to do a show that was different than any other award show,” Hudlin said. “We don’t plan on repeating ourselves, but we certainly want to try some new ideas that could only be done on the Emmys.”
Actor-comedian Cedric the Entertainer stars in and executive produces sitcom The Neighborhood, which is headed into its fourth season, and The Greatest #At Home Videos, both on CBS. He also co-stars in TBS’ popular comedy series The Last O.G. Recently, he was seen in a dramatic role portraying civil rights leader Ralph Abernathy in the feature Son of the South, and appeared in The Opening Act. He stars in and produces the upcoming sequel to his hit film Johnson Family Vacation.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1414615464374784000
Interview in Film Stories Magazine
Here is a link to a very nice article about my latest movie Safety as well as a review of my career.
