Mike Eakins
I was introduced to Millennial Comics at GalaxyCon Richmond. The art was reminiscent of that early Image art that was just gritty, honest, and filled with passion. I started talking with Vonnell Young of Millennial Comics and I immediately knew where this gritty, honesty, and passion came from. In my few minutes talking with Vonnell our conversation was filled with my introduction to Delta Dogs. It’s a story of seven cousins who find themselves in the middle of a gang war and must come together combining their superpowers in order to survive. I bought the first issue and was immediately hooked. You might not have heard of Millennial Comics yet, however, stay tuned because big things are definitely in the plans for these guys.
Comic-Watch: Thank you for taking the time to speak with us today, Vonnell!
Vonnell Young: Of course, thank you.
CW: When did you know you wanted to do comics, and what was that one issue or character that just grabbed you and spoke to you?
VY: It was when I was eight years old, and I read Static Shock, and that’s all I needed!
CW: Delta Dogs feels real, you can feel an edginess to the book. Was that the theme from the beginning or as you wrote the book and the characters began to take shape did the characters dictate the direction?
VY: It’s based off of me and my cousins, and their powers have something to do with their personalities, and that was the main inspiration for the book.
CW: Can you take me through the process of how you work when creating Delta Dogs, and any inspiration that you gather when creating it?
VY: A lot of my inspiration comes from the traditional Marvel and DC stories as far as the art goes. With my writing style, I grab from anime and manga with that long-driven storytelling. A lot of it has to do with the actual events we went through as kids. When you see the aunt in the story fussing out the kids and keeping them straight, that’s what happened to us in real life. My aunt kept us straight and fussed us out all the time. Growing up with gangs, and what was happening in the streets, and all the temptations, all we got through together as a family, and that really comes through in Delta Dogs.
CW: What can readers expect when they pick up a Delta Dogs comic?
VY: Something new, and something fresh…simple as that.
CW: How did Millennial Comics come about?
VY: I have hundreds of ideas for characters, and I want them all in the same universe, where I maintain the rights to everything. All the stories connect and everything is already planned out, so I need a brand to put all my character creations under a brand, starting with Delta Dogs.
CW: Any future projects you can talk about? What’s next for Millennial Comics?
VY: Our next character is actually in issue one in the end on the last page! All I can say is get ready!
CW: Lastly, do you have any final words for the Comic Watchers and fans?
VY: I wanna hear their stories too! Let’s keep creating fresh and new ideas, everyone’s unique in their own way.
