Announced during the DC FanDome event, the comics giant is launching a new program to help diverse creators expand!
DC is launching a new initiative called The Milestone Initiative to educate and empower Black and diverse creatives. DC is collaborating with WarnerMedia, Milestone Media and Ally to bring this initiative to the next generation of creators.
With an aim to identify, support and elevate emerging diverse writers and artists within the comic book industry, The Milestone Initiative gives fans in the U.S. the opportunity to apply for The Milestone Initiative Development Program, which includes a one-week in-person training seminar in DC’s Burbank, CA offices, followed by an eight-week virtual technical training course through the prestigious Kubert School, where participants can hone their storytelling skills and become part of the next wave of great comic book writers and artists.The Milestone Initiative is the inaugural program from DC’s Next Generation DC, a talent recruitment, mentoring and development program designed to increase access and opportunities for writers, illustrators, and creatives from underrepresented communities across the globe to contribute to DC comic book content, expand representation and tell authentic stories featuring some of the most recognizable characters in comics.
“The Milestone Initiative Development Program is the perfect project for debuting Next Generation DC,” said Daniel Cherry III, Senior Vice President and General Manager, DC. “Our current lineup of Milestone titles have released to great critical and sales success, expanding the loyal fanbase, while at the same time inviting new readers to experience the ‘Dakotaverse’ and its heroes. For many black and diverse artists and writers, Milestone is part of their comic book DNA, Cherry continued, “and we are thankful to partner with Ally to help these new voices be heard in addition to adding to Milestone’s legacy.”At a time when comic books are at the center of pop culture, creators in the field are largely homogenous. According to Zippia, Black comic book creators make up only 4.9% of writers and 3.4% of artists. Asian creators make up only 4.2% of writers and 8.4% of artists, and Hispanic or Latinx creators make up 7.1% of writers and 11.7% of artists.
