Darius Corry is a husband, a father and an artist. Growing up, he was a Black nerd (Blerd!) who loved comic books, cartoons, wrestling and rap. He is an HBCU graduate, which informed his view of the world and reinforced his love of Blackness. And now, on top of all those things—and more than likely because of them—he is the winner of THE BLOCK’s inaugural T-shirt design contest, with an illustration that not only captures the essence of THE BLOCK’s purpose, but also perfectly depicts Darius’ love for Black culture. >>Purchase your shirt here.
His story, like many artists, began early—in elementary school where he first embraced his love of comic book art. To Darius, a fresh pack of plain printer paper was the best gift, enough for him to draft, sketch and repeat as many times as he wanted.
“Where I was raised, you either drew Dragonball Z characters or Mortal Kombat characters,” Darius told THE BLOCK. “I was an introvert, my mom’s only child. I created my own comic books and created a universe around me, and loved it.”
There weren’t a lot of Black influences surrounding him in Suitland, Maryland, where he grew up, so he absorbed what he could from the comic books he read, as well as his growing love for hip-hop and wrestling. But something was still missing.
“I got older, and I knew as an artist I needed to hone one particular style or skill and perfect it, and that took a while,” he admitted.
“I had to find a lane where I was comfortable while incorporating all the things I loved—which were all the nerdy things like comic books and wrestling—while still having my Blackness be present.”
Darius Corry
That’s when Darius discovered Black nerd culture. Now surrounded by people that looked and created like him, he was comfortable and in his element. Seeing examples like award-winning comic book artist Khary Randolph let him know art could be more than just a hobby.
After graduating from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, he moved to Charlotte and was immediately impressed by the talent in its arts community.
“The city was still growing when I got here, and I loved it. All the new buildings going up provided opportunities for young entrepreneurs to paint murals on walls, or put different art in cafés. It felt like home.”
The city also helped Darius further embrace his love of wrestling culture. He became friends with local, Black indy wrestlers, which enabled him to use his art to create merchandise for WWE star Cedric Alexander and thus, elevate his visibility. Still, that bit of visibility wasn’t paying the bills. It was his wife who helped him see that it was OK to create in the circles he enjoyed, but he needed to monetize his gift more effectively. >>Watch this workshop replay on the business of creativity.
“I had a long list of things I’d created or wanted to create, and I shared it with her,” Darius recalled. “She basically told me that I needed to take the gift God gave me and have it materialize into some money. You have a kid, a wife, debt … she told me it was time to charge what I’m worth. I needed those words, and from then on, that’s exactly what I’ve done.”
As for Darius’ winning design for THE BLOCK, his thinking was intentional.
“The charge was to do something ‘for the culture,’ and initially I got in my head and thought I needed all of the details,” he said. “But then, I just sat back and thought about what people would want to represent our culture.
“I wanted something Black. I wanted something beautiful. I wanted something that would encompass the collective and still be natural and beautiful,” Darius continued. “I didn’t want it to be too busy. I just wanted to say, ‘These are our Black faces.’ Along with the flowers, they’re both vibrant, and the group is like a bouquet of beautiful color.”
He says he always wanted to create art for T-shirts, and this win will help him focus and refine his style. It’s even motivated him to follow through with the release of his own apparel line later this year that will feature vintage-style designs blending his comic book and music influence with Christian culture.
Hoping to make bigger steps as a concept artist, Darius is also in the process of rebranding to highlight his illustration skills more. To start, he launched his YouTube channel, Clean Draws, where he walks viewers through his creative process while drawing on-screen. As for future collaborations, he said working with THE BLOCK has helped him see what’s important when connecting with other brands.
“I want to be sure I’m in sync with whoever I work with. That’s what’s important. With whatever I do for others, I want my gift to help their vision. If I do that, it’s a win.”
You can connect with Darius on IG: @dariuscorrydesigns or his website: dariuscorry.com.
