Dwayne McDuffie. When news broke of his death 2 weeks ago, I felt like I was punched in the head and the gut. Hard. I remain crushed. As a big fan, I love the stories he crafted. Compelling plots and emotionally resonant dialogue, it's amazing what he delivered in all-ages media. As a person of color, I deeply appreciated his work to make people of various backgrounds, who are too often ignored, disrespected, and distorted in the mass media, visible. Not only were they seen, but he and his frequent collaborators made sure to give them dimension and showed how they were much more than their race, ethnicity, sex, religion, sexual identity, or economic status. Just like people in real life are. Dwayne's work reflected the America that I know exists. He injected just enough reality to fantastical worlds and ideas, which made them all the more believable and worthwhile to believe in. As an aspiring creator, I'm greatly influenced by his efforts and have alw...