About The Creator

Emilio Velez Jr.
I’m Emilio Velez Jr and I’m originally from The Bronx, New York. Now, I live in Poughkeepsie, NY. I am the award-winning writer, illustrator and creator of “The Dodgeball Teens” comic book series. I’ve been drawing cartoon characters and comics since I was 13 years old and enjoy it to this day. I love writing stories involving my comics. I love reading comics, I love collecting them and the whole aspect of it.
I am also a motivational speaker. I overcame a cognitive learning disability to get to where I’m at in the comic book industry. It all started when I was diagnosed with the learning disability at age 3. I received services to help me with my educational needs. When I was in elementary/junior high school, one of the teachers told my parents that I would not graduate through high school due to the difficulty I was having processing the educational curriculum. My mother heard that and said, “Over my dead body!” With the support, I graduated from Junior High School.
At Blessed Sacrament/St. Gabriel high school, which is closed in 2013, I received my services and tutoring at home. Four years later, I graduated in 2001. After high school, I enrolled in Monroe University in New Rochelle, NY. In June 2004, I graduated and received my bachelor’s degree in computer science.
After college, I worked at Lehman College in the Bronx in a program for teenagers with special needs. The teenagers had various disabilities, and I was employed there seven years. In 2010, the project closed and I was laid off. I attempted to get another job but due to the economy, I couldn’t find a job. I started writing and attempting to put stories together. I took extra writing classes at Lehman College and a graphic designing class at Hostos Community College to enhance my skills. I wrote and illustrated my first issue of The Dodgeball Teens in 2011. I continued to write and illustrate, and I now have twelve issues of the series and the graphic novel completed. I love drawing characters, writing stories and every aspect of independent comic books.
As a person with a learning disability, I thought I couldn’t create comics, but I can guarantee you, that with support and determination, anyone can do it. “Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t.” I hope you enjoy my comics.