Here at the B.O.N.E. Chronicles we LOVE cartoons. I mean we really heart them big time; so much that our children have renamed all the members of our family to Justice League characters. Today I heard about the passing of Dwayne McDuffie, the creator of many Kids WB action cartoons that were well written, educational and super entertaining.

Dwayne McDuffie, wrote comic books for Marvel and DC and co-founded his own publishing company before crossing over to television and animation, he passed away on 2/22 at the age of 49 one day after his birthday. A few of our favorite comics that Dwayne was responsible for are “Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths” and the animated TV series “Static Shock”. I just saw a commercial for a new Superman animated movie titled “All-Star Superman” which he too penned.

Besides comics, McDuffie was a producer and story editor on Cartoon Network’s “Justice League Unlimited,” and wrote and produced episodes of other cartoons, including “What’s New, Scooby Doo?,” “Ben 10: Ultimate Alien” and “Teen Titans.”

Love the theme song for Static Shock rapped by Little Romeo

Christopher Chambers, a journalism professor at Georgetown University and author of the graphic novel “The Darker Mask,” told The Associated Press that McDuffie’s influence resonated in animation and comic books.

“For minorities in this mode of entertainment … he was a hero, he was a pioneer,” Chambers said Tuesday. “Not just for we who are fans but also for content creators. He spilled over into other media.”

Bruce Timm, executive producer of the DC Universe animated original movie series, heaped praise on McDuffie’s talents and character.

“As a writer he was simply brilliant — adventurous, effortlessly funny, ferociously smart. As a person, he was all that and much, much more — more, in fact, than my puny words can even hope to express,” Timm said.

McDuffie was nominated for two Emmy Awards for “Static Shock,” a Writers Guild award for “Justice League” and three Eisner awards for his work in comic books, his website said.

Organizers of Seattle’s annual Emerald City Comicon said they planned to hold a memorial panel remembering McDuffie at the three-day event on March 5.

Dan DiDio, co-publisher of DC Entertainment, said McDuffie “left a lasting legacy on the world of comics that many writers can only aspire to. He will not only be remembered as an extremely gifted writer whose scripts have been realized as comics books, in television shows and on the silver screen, but as the creator or co-create of so many of the much-loved Milestone characters, including Static Shock.”

Tom Brevoort, Marvel’s senior vice president for publishing, said McDuffie was a force behind bringing more diversity into comics.

“He was very interested in creating a wider range of multiculturalism in comics, having been profoundly affected by the example of the Black Panther when he was growing up, and wanting to give that same opportunity to others of all races, creeds and religions, which is one of the reasons he left Marvel and co-founded Milestone,” Brevoort told the AP. “And he eventually came back to write both Beyond! and Fantastic Four for me.”

McDuffie is survived by his wife, Charlotte, and his mother, Edna McDuffie-Gardner.

Welcome to another edition of Old School Thursday.

Earlier this month we lost another Gospel Music great Bishop Walter Hawkins!

Bishop Hawkins passed away on July 11th after a bout with pancreatic cancer. Hawkins career included singing with his brother’s in the Northern California State Youth Choir, later he formed a group with his brother Edwin and founded The Edwin Hawkins Singer. Through this group Hawkins became world known with their hit song “Oh Happy Day”.  In the early 1970s Hawkins left the group and became the Pastor of Love Center Church in Oakland, CA which he founded. There he started a Choir which received lots of love with well over a million copies sold from the 70s until the 90s in their  “Love Alive”  series! Bishop Hawkins also produced and collaborated on over 100 hit songs including recording with Diahanna Carroll, Sylvester and Jeffrey Osborne.

In honor of Bishop Hawkins I’d like to feature five of my old time fav old school Gospel tunes.

Tramaine Hawkins – Going Up Yonder

Timothy Wright concert Choir – Let Us All Go Back

Walter Hawkins – When the Battle is Over

The Carvans featuring Shirley Caesar – I Won’t Be Back

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTnQYHzS7t4

Aretha Franklin – Precious Lord

Hope you enjoyed that.

Until next time…
Keep Jammin!

Welcome to another Old Skool Thursday. Today I’d like to take you back… way back… back into time.

Back to a time when television was about creative writing and funny sitcoms, not reality stories that aren’t at all real! A time when everyone knew the theme song and sat down to listen to it.

Here are five that I love and think are creative and  good enough to listen too without watching the show!

Gimme A Break

Barney Miller

Hill Street Blues

Fat Albert

Cheers

Hope you enjoyed this little journey with me.

Until next time…

Keep Jammin!

Welcome to the first edition of Old Skool Thursday’s! On this lovely day I’ll prep you with weekend smiles by featuring three Old Skool songs that have provided me with many days of happiness and found memories.

The first three to set off this series are really old skool as they are from my childhood. Enjoy and sing along!

Owl Jolson

Uncle Paco

Tom Cat

Until next time…
Keep Jammin!