Sunday afternoon as the end of this year’s MomoCon drew near, I was chatting with Darryl McDaniels–better known as DMC–in his booth when a mom approached announcing, “I didn’t think there was anything here for me, and then I saw you!”
Over a career now approaching five decades, DMC has gone from learning mixing in his basement to being the voice of the songs of that mom’s childhood to a cookie business–and now another round with “It’s Tricky” in her son’s Sonic-laden childhood. But it all started with comic books, which he credits with giving him “the courage and confidence to get on stage.”
“My first comic book was a Batman comic in kindergarten,” he explained. “I couldn’t even read, but when I saw the cover, I was like, What is that? Whatever that is, that’s me.”
It became a thread through his life and rhymes. Comics supported him through his youth. Then at the age of 35, he found out he had been adopted as a baby. He immediately thought of Superman, adopted by parents on another planet. Then Batman, who saw his parents murdered. Then his longtime favorite Spider-Man, raised by Aunt May. And so comics were there for him again through difficult times.
Decades later, DMC had a business meeting with Rigo “Riggs” Morales, ostensibly to talk about a new artist. Instead they spent three hours talking about comics, followed by a trip to New York Comic Con where Riggs convinced DMC that creating a comic book could do the same thing his music had done: inspire, motivate, and educate while entertaining.
Next they needed a story. “What would you be doing if you didn’t do hip-hop?” Riggs asked.
“If I had to say what I wanted to be, I probably would have been a teacher,” DMC recalled telling him. And so Darryl Makes Comics was born in 2014, featuring DMC in another dimension where instead of a musical artist, he’s an Adidas-wearing teacher with superpowers.
The next issue, DMC No. 4, is scheduled to drop in October. And it’ll be a busy fall for DMC fans, with two new children’s books coming out, as well as a Christmas in Hollis sugar cookie from the Darryl Makes Cookies brand.
At the age of 60, after all those comics, who does he name as his favorite character? “In this day and age of hip-hop, I feel like I was frozen, and I woke up and [things have] changed,” DMC said. “What I like about Cap[tain America] is he sticks to the core value of not what he was, but what he is.”
“I tell kids, don’t call me old man. You better rephrase. Call me eternal.”
As for that mom who thought there was nothing for her at MomoCon, I’m glad you found DMC and a new connection with your kid. But now that you know DMC’s story is rooted in fandom, maybe it’s time to peek at those roots too and find even more to enjoy at your next con!
For a little more from DMC, enjoy this snippet of an interview on who he’d like to see play him in live action, more on Spider-Man, and hip hop culture.
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