NORFOLK, Va. — A former standout athlete uses his passion for comic books to inspire others to feel comfortable in their skin.
Derron Flood owns a gym in Norfolk and spends more days training clients.
He’s a former track and field star at Maury High School and Deep Creek High School. He also won state and national titles before becoming a collegiate All-American in the sport.
But if you ask him about his true passion, the answer may surprise you.
"When I picked up a comic book, it was easy,” said Flood. “It felt natural for me to read that kind of stuff."
Flood loves comic books, and estimates he owns nearly 60,000 graphic novels. But growing up, especially in his community, Flood says it wasn’t always easy sharing this side of him.
“If you weren’t an athlete, and you weren’t into culturally normal, cool things then you got harassed or outcasted,” he said. “As I got more comfortable with myself, and more importantly more confident, I started doing things that made me happy, and comics have always been a big part of my happiness.”
And now, he hopes to inspire people who look like him to embrace their nerdy side.
This weekend, Flood is hosting the first-ever Atlantic Comic Convention in Norfolk.
“We’re going to have a literacy component. So we have a bunch of guests that work for Marvel, DC (Comics), and Image and have a ton of screenwriting credits for very, very popular shows and you’ll have access to that. And that’s something that’s never, ever happened in Norfolk.”
There will be comics, gaming, anime and cosplay.
But the biggest part — he wants to encourage Black creatives, a group he says doesn’t always feel welcome in these spaces.
“Representation is wildly important, and a lot of times we don’t get the opportunities,” he said. “When I get calls, when I get emails, when I get messages, they say, 'This is the first year? You’re Black? I will be there!”
Flood said he wanted to create a space where people felt comfortable to be who they are.
After all, that’s what comic books did for him.
“If you’re into writing, illustrating, or just nerd culture, it’s going to be… unforgettable,” he said. I’m getting riled up just thinking about it.”
The Atlantic Comic Convention will take place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, August 17, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, August 18 at the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel.