If you’re a Cyborg fan who’s ever dreamed of writing the character your self, you might have rather a lot in frequent with Morgan Hampton. After years of studying about Cyborg, he’ll quickly debut as the author of DC’s first Cyborg collection in practically 5 years. If Hampton isn’t a reputation you already know but, don’t fear, that’ll quickly change. Hampton was one in all the individuals in the Milestone Initiative Talent Development Program, which opened the door to his first main DC challenge. Partnering with veteran artist Tom Raney, Hampton’s upcoming Cyborg will discover new sides of Victor Stone as the Titan returns house to Detroit.
Cyborg received’t be in shops till May, however if you need a preview of what you’ll be able to count on from Vic’s return, try Hampton’s story in the just-released DC Power: A Celebration. An anthology title that includes the work of over two dozen Black writers and artists telling tales about DC’s Black superheroes, it options the first Cyborg story penned by Hampton, dropped at visible life Valentine De Landro and Marissa Louise.
Just forward of its launch, we spoke with Hampton about his plans for Cyborg, and unsurprisingly, he had a lot to say. In some methods, Hampton has been making ready to write down this title since childhood. As he received able to test it off his bucket checklist, Hampton broke down how he plans to take Victor Stone into the 21st century, why he’s redefining Cyborg’s catchphrase and extra.
First of all, since the information of your new Cyborg collection dropped, you’ve got gotten plenty of responses on social media, including one from Cyborg himself—Doom Patrol’s Joivan Wade! How superior was that?
I used to be not anticipating that by any means. That was actually cool. I received adopted by him too, which is very nice. So possibly we are going to maintain chatting in the future. Maybe I must give him a replica of the ebook when it comes out. (Editor’s replace: Morgan did in fact give him a copy!)
I’d love to listen to about your relationship with Victor Stone. How did you first meet him? What variations of him or tales about him actually spoke to you?
I really feel like lots of people my age—I’m 29. I’ll be 30 in a couple of month—grew up watching the Teen Titans present. So that was form of my introduction to the character. I resonated with him so much.
I’ve a bleeding dysfunction known as hemophilia, which is form of an invisible dysfunction, however it’s a bodily dysfunction. My bodily limitations had been restricted and proceed to be restricted to at the present time. I feel seeing Victor having a form of bodily incapacity as effectively was one thing I actually resonated with as a child and proceed to resonate with. I really feel like I can convey a voice of what that looks like internally to this character that we have not seen a whole lot of nuance with. I form of wish to discover what it looks like to simply be dealt a foul set of playing cards in life, and the way do you reply when dangerous issues have occurred to you that you would be able to’t management?
Not solely are you launching this new Cyborg collection, however the collection goes to be a part of the Dawn of DC rollout. This will increase its profile and produce a whole lot of new eyeballs to the comedian. How thrilling is that?
It’s loopy! It’s additionally just a little daunting, I’m not going to lie, however I’m very excited to return into DC at this new period. I’m somebody who’s at all times been an advocate for uplifting a whole lot of these characters which can be form of in the background. Not simply with Cyborg, but it surely’s actually thrilling to see that this period is form of shifting in the direction of them. Sure, there’s just a little little bit of legacy, however giving extra of the highlight to a few of these characters that I feel followers have been form of craving for. It form of suits actually according to my philosophy on superheroes generally, so it is actually nice to return in at the similar time because it.
I’d love to listen to about your expertise with the Milestone Initiative Talent Development Program and the way it received you right here.
I simply can’t consider I used to be part of that. It got here and went fairly quick, but it surely was a dream come true. I keep in mind once they first introduced that Milestone was coming again. I keep in mind pondering I’ve received to be in there by some means. It was earlier than they introduced the Milestone Initiative. And then I feel a 12 months glided by, then they introduced that, and I’m identical to, “I have to apply.” I used to be in grad faculty at the time, actually busy, however I’m identical to, “There’s no way I can let this opportunity slip by.”
So I utilized, and fortunately, fortunately received in. It was positively a foundational second for me and one thing that I’ll keep in mind perpetually. I feel above all else, simply getting the entry and the sources was nice. The cohort of those who they selected with us I feel had been all actually nice and supportive of one another. I feel I’ve received 23 brothers and sisters with the Milestone Initiative the place we’re all form of launching our careers at the similar time, which is de facto, actually dope.
You have a Cyborg story that is in the new DC Power anthology. It’s actually good. Did you already know that you’d be doing the Cyborg ongoing earlier than writing it?
I didn’t know till after. After the Milestone Initiative, I reached out to a bunch of editors to see if there have been any alternatives on the market and Marquis Draper fortunately gave me this chance to write down this story for DC Power. This was again in August, and I did not find out about the collection till months later. I suppose he favored what I did in the story, and I suppose once they had been internally fascinated with doing a Cyborg collection, I used to be somebody he considered.
I’m eternally grateful for that. I feel the themes and the tone that I discover on this story are some issues that may form of launch into the collection as effectively, which is de facto cool.
Was your DC Power story at all times going to be a Cyborg story? Or did you speak about totally different characters?
I pitched this story to Marquis final 12 months after I was interviewing for the Milestone Initiative. I keep in mind they requested us outdoors of Milestone what characters we want to write, and I went on this lengthy soliloquy about Cyborg and the way there’s a whole lot of potential to discover him extra. When I reached out to him over the summer time, he talked about that interview, and he was like, “Yeah, I think I have a spot for you in this anthology. And I think I would like you to write about Cyborg, like we talked about months ago.”
I used to be like, “This is crazy.” Because at the second, once we had been having that interview, I wasn’t pondering of it as a pitch, I used to be speaking from the coronary heart, and I suppose that was one thing that he resonated with and he was in a position to give me that chance.
The DC Power story dives into the origin of “booyah” and the way the catchphrase has a deeper which means for Victor. You’re already including layers to the character together with your first outing. How did you give you that method?
It was one thing that I feel I’ve been fascinated with for a pair years. I’ve heard lots of people take problem with that phrase, which I perceive, you already know, as a Black character, utilizing form of a corny line like that. I feel lots of people have taken problem with what which may signify for a Black character.
I feel for each character, there must be a why for all the things. I do like that he makes use of that phrase in very pivotal moments. It at all times brings a whole lot of levity, however I needed to provide a which means for it for Victor, to form of recontextualize it and make it extra of a phrase that I feel individuals shall be comfy with transferring into the 21st century. I needed to tie it to his mother, as a result of that is one thing that he’s at all times coping with. It was one thing that I simply needed so as to add to the character that I hadn’t seen accomplished earlier than and I hope it is one thing that resonates with individuals.
When your Cyborg collection begins, what’s life like for Victor Stone? Where is his head at?
Titans is form of the place he grew to become Cyborg, so to talk. And now that they are the premier workforce, I feel he is feeling a whole lot of stress to be there for the individuals, for everybody who’s trying as much as him. With a few of the stuff I mentioned earlier about Cyborg being somebody who by no means actually had a selection, I feel he is actually fighting the energy of selection at this level of his life, as a result of he does need to be Cyborg for the individuals, however he additionally needs to be Cyborg and Victor for himself. He’s fighting what that stability seems to be like when he has a whole lot of renewed accountability.
That’s going to return to a head when he comes house to Detroit due to a household emergency. He’s going to need to navigate who he was, who he’s now and who he needs to be, and hopefully how he can mesh all these issues collectively.
What form of a supporting forged will Victor have in Detroit? Old buddies, new buddies and acquainted faces stopping by?
Yeah, I feel it’ll be just a little little bit of all of that. I’m going to have some new buddies for certain, however as a result of this can be a ebook that is launching alongside Titans, I’m going to attempt to implement a few of these characters as effectively. But I do wish to stress that that is Cyborg’s story. People is perhaps stopping by to talk, however that is one thing that Victor goes to need to do on his personal, as a result of I feel that is one thing that we have not seen with the character so much. Over the years he is been in a whole lot of books, however he is at all times in the background. I actually need this ebook to be about Cyborg getting the company that he is at all times deserved.
And on the topic of challenges, what sort of threats will he be going through?
It’s essential to me for a tech-based character to form of cope with a tech-based risk. I needed to convey Cyborg into the 21st century and provides him issues that all of us cope with at this time with these form of tyrannical tech firms dominated by idiots. I wish to see how he can navigate that as somebody who’s youthful, as a result of I feel we have not actually seen that with him. And I feel the risk that he faces is one thing that we’re all going to have the ability to resonate with as a result of it is one thing that aggravates us to no finish in the actual world. But for Cyborg and the metropolis of Detroit, that is one thing that is going to have dire penalties and he’ll need to step up.
I’d additionally love to listen to about your working relationship with Tom Raney. What has that collaboration been like?
It is in the very early levels, but it surely appears to be actually enjoyable to date. I’ve by no means accomplished something of this magnitude but. I’ve accomplished a whole lot of self-published work, which is so much totally different than this. I have not had the form of framework that working underneath this kind of factor provides you. Tom is an artist that appears to need a whole lot of strategies. You know, each artist is just a little bit totally different, but it surely’s enjoyable how collaborative it appears to be with him. I’ll give him some references, and he’ll be like, “No, you can give me more. You can tell me specifically how you want it.” It’s actually enjoyable.
While breaking the Cyborg story for the DC Power particular and plotting the ongoing, you’ve got needed to reside in the character’s head in a means that you simply in all probability by no means did as a reader. Have you discovered something new about Vic as you’ve got been taking a look at him from a author’s perspective?
I truly suppose it is just a little bit the reverse. I’ve form of lived in his head just a little bit over the years as a result of I’ve at all times been somebody who was a champion for Victor. He’s at all times round, however typically not doing a lot. I’ve at all times been fascinated with what his potential is and what he can do.
While breaking the story for DC Power and for this collection, I discovered that we’re so much alike, and I feel now we have a whole lot of the similar sensibilities. Going again to me having hemophilia, I grew up having a whole lot of limitations on my physicality, however eager to play sports activities. Vic is just a little reverse. He was in a position to play sports activities after which had a whole lot of bodily limitations on his physique. I feel we have form of met in the center. I discovered that Victor is certainly somebody who I’d be buddies with if he existed in the actual world.
In your thoughts how has Victor grown as a hero since his New Teen Titans debut in 1980?
Loads, but additionally not so much. He’s grown so much in different mediums, like I discussed the Teen Titans collection and even a few of the stuff in the motion pictures. But I feel Cyborg has not likely been introduced into the 21st century as a lot as he could possibly be. And I do not know, I could possibly be incorrect, however I is perhaps the first millennial to write down a Cyborg collection. Maybe not a Cyborg story, however possibly a Cyborg collection. I feel there’s a whole lot of potential for him to develop into this era and the era under me, and be a hero that represents the future. Not simply together with his powerset, however due to who he’s and what he represents as only a Black man in the world.
DC Power: A Celebration #1, that includes “Booyah” by Morgan Hampton, Valentine De Landro and Marissa Louise, is now accessible in print and as a digital comedian ebook. Look for the first problem of Cyborg by Morgan Hampton and Tom Raney on May 16, 2023!
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