Square Eyes: Static Shock Changed TV. Now You Can Watch it All for Free.

That wasn't supposed to rhyme but sometimes the muse has a vision.

Hello again!

I wasn't expecting to be back in your inboxes — or on your desktops — so soon, but today is a monumental day and I think your weekend will be better off if you know.

What's so important?

Well, from today you can stream all of Static Shock on Tubi. I have a much longer piece coming soon singing the praises of that service — yes it's owned by an evil billionaire but which streamer isn't, darling? — but for now I thought that I'd write the kind of piece that I used to pitch and write at Nerdist on a weekly news beat type day in my digital media heyday, but for me and for my readers on here.

The arrival of Virgil Hawkins in both comics and TV was nothing less than a seismic shock. He debuted at Milestone Comics in Static #1 in 1993, created by the founders of the publisher, game changing icons Dwayne McDuffie, Derek T. Dingle, Denys Cowan, and Michael Davis. The four Black creators blazed a trail for creator ownership, Black genre storytelling in comics, and how stories about young Black men coming of age are told both on the page and off of it.

Part of the first wave of titles that launched the publisher into the stratosphere thanks to their incredible distribution deal with DC Comics, it saw the Milestone creators keep their own rights and IP while having their books distributed by one of the big two. It was unheard of and still basically is—think something akin to the comics industry's version to Ryan Coogler's Sinners deal but in the early '90s.

Milestone Media shook up the industry and its legacy can still be felt today. But it wasn't just the comics. Today I'm here to write about the 2000 animated series Static Shock that introduced Virgil to an entire generation of young kids all over the world.

Part of the reason the series has stood the test of time is because McDuffie worked on it behind the scenes, using the setup of a kid with super powers to tell deep, relevant stories — that feel ever more relevant today — about race, bullying, and bigotry. Vibrant, fun, and set in Dakota City, the series follows Virgil as he comes to terms with his powers and his place as a young Black man in America.

The series would become a smash hit and go on to connect with Batman: The Animated Series and make the character a household name for kids of the 90s and 00s. Now you can watch it for free which is perfect as Milestone is now a part of DC Comics once more and there is even an alleged Static film on the way!

So yes! Go and enjoy this incredible show and let me know if you're interested in tips and recommendations like this! Subscribe or share if you'd like!