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Dwayne McDuffie has touched the lives of countless comic book fans today, and his legacy lives on with the Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity in Comics. Now in its tenth year, the DMAD honors comics and graphic novels that contribute to the advancement of marginalized people in all areas of society. The award seeks to recognize works by creators underrepresented within the comic book industry, including women, people of color, the LGBTQIA+ community, disabled people, and more. The finalists and winner of the award will be honored at a San Diego Comic-Con event this July. 

The Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity in Comics returns at a crucial time. In a statement to ComicsBeat, comic book writer and selection committee member Mark Waid noted the urgency that the award has for this year in particular.

On the importance of the DMAD, Waid said, "As a medium and as a community—even removing from consideration the onslaught of bigotry and intolerance sweeping the U.S. as we speak—the world of comics has a responsibility to recognize, promote, and honor comics that not only employ great storytelling but are emblematic of the power of equality and inclusion. As creators, good work from anyone forces us to up our game. As readers, we’re all better off—and more entertained and educated—when we’re exposed to the widest possible variety of voices and viewpoints.”

The spirit of the DMAD is the same as that which guided McDuffie throughout his career in comics and beyond: "From invisible to inevitable." McDuffie was a co-founder of Milestone Media, the groundbreaking imprint of DC Comics in the 1990s that revolutionized the kinds of characters featured in superhero comics. Milestone characters such as Static (later the star of the Warner Bros.' animated show Static Shock), Icon, Rocket, and Hardware, were created to address the paucity of BIPOC characters in American comics. McDuffie went on to write on shows like Static Shock, Justice League, and Ben 10: Alien Force. 

For more information about how to submit to the 10th annual Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity in Comics, please visit their site here. 

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