Though the company name had been used casually as early as 1998, Young American Comics became an actual publishing company in 2001 when a submission to the Small Press Expo Anthology was not accepted for the publication. With a finished story going to waste, it seemed only logical to produce two more short comics and self-publish them in a collection called Wild Penny. A mere 17 copies were printed at home and handed out that summer on the floor of the San Diego Comic Con.

Soon after, Tod C. Parkhill and his colleagues moved to San Diego and began to take comic production more seriously. In an effort to get their comics, writing and artwork into the public eye, they published a handful of new mini-comics and made their first official convention appearance at the 2002 Alternative Press Expo in San Francisco.

Things only got bigger from there. With numerous convention appearances each year and an ever-expanding catalogue of creative and exciting comics, Young American Comics became a place where talented artists and writers could gain exposure by having their work published and distributed.

Young American Comics produces a wide variety of popular ongoing titles like Snakepit Quarterly (named “The #1 mini comic” by Wizard Magazine in April 2006), Wild Penny and The Mighty Offenders. They are also known for their large-scale, open-invite, group projects like small town/BIG CITY, The Big Ol’ Book of BIZMAR, The Transdimensional Adventures of Captain Preposterous and Obsequious Dean and Unseen On TV. YAC also invented Budge Comix, a minimalist collection of comics drawn in 15 minutes or less, The Red Curtain, a 90-page graphic novel written completely out of sequence, and comics created with Legos, puppets, crumpled wads of paper and an Atari 2600.

Now located in back in it’s home of Richmond Virginia, Young American Comics publishes over 20 titles and is continually on the look out for new talent. With a new group project each year, YAC continues to encourage artists and writers to push the comics medium and embrace the notion that comics aren’t just about “Drawing the Marvel Way.”

Young American Comics strives to become a leader in the industry and succeeds by producing a steady stream of new and innovative group projects and experimental books, as well as several successful ongoing titles. As it makes the transition from minis to full-sized comics and graphic novels, YAC continues to raise the bar for small press, self-published comics by creating a professional image and quality product, and holding true to its claim - Real Comics, Only Smaller.