Francis Tsai
Encyclopedia
Francis Tsai is an American comic book artist
, illustrator
, author and conceptual artist. He is of Taiwanese
and Japanese
ancestry.
and raised in Lubbock, Texas
. He was initially trained in chemistry, before receiving a graduate degree in architecture.
as Conceptual Designer where he provided visual development and game design for the video games Myst 3 and Star Trek: Hidden Evil
. In 2003, Tsai joined High Moon Studios where he was principal concept artist for the video games The Bourne Conspiracy
and Darkwatch
.
Tsai has illustrated cards for the Magic: The Gathering
collectible card game.
Tsai is currently working on a five-issue graphic novel miniseries called Tracker for Top Cow Productions. Tsai also contributes covers and interior art for Marvel Comics
.
Tsai provided interior artwork for Secret Identities: The Asian American Superhero Anthology as well as covers and interior artwork for the serialized graphic novel Mercy Thompson: Homecoming, which reached number eight on the Comics Bestsellers list in October 2009. In a generally favorable review of the novel, Martha Cornog wrote, "Francis Tsai's and Amelia Woo's painted art, especially their beautiful wolf depictions, make this all visually believable." Tsai also created interiors for trade paperback Impaler.
Tsai has also provided interior artwork for a number of Dungeons & Dragons
manuals for Wizards of the Coast
, including Sharn: City of Towers, Monster Manual III, d20 Future
, Races of Eberron, Lost Empires of Faerûn
, Explorer's Handbook
, Tome of Magic: Pact, Shadow, and Truename Magic
, Power of Faerûn, and d20 Future Tech. Tsai created the artwork for the Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition Dungeon Masters Screen.
Tsai has also provide visual development in the TV and film industries contributing concept artwork for Motion Theory's Gatorade "Inside Crosby" and Lenovo Thinkpad "Rollcage" commercials as well as the movies Sucker Punch and TMNT - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
He is also a regular contributor to ImagineFX magazine
, where he has created a series of workshops including topics such as using 3-D in 2-D, effective character design and game concept art.
Francis Tsai wrote and illustrated the book Fantasy Art Academy: 100 Ways to Paint the Coolest Fantasy Figures for F&W Publications and recently released another book Extreme Worlds in November 2009. He is currently working on his third how-to book. Tsai is also currently working on Tracker, an upcoming miniseries from Top Cow Productions and Heroes and Villains Entertainment about an FBI agent who has contracted a virus that turns him into a werewolf. Issue 1 of 5 was released November 2009. Tsai has won numerous professional awards for his work.
Comic Book Artist
Comic Book Artist was an American magazine founded by Jon B. Cooke devoted to anecdotal histories of American comic books, with emphasis on comics published since the 1960s...
, illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
, author and conceptual artist. He is of Taiwanese
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
ancestry.
Early life
Tsai was born in Honolulu, HawaiiHonolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
and raised in Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
. He was initially trained in chemistry, before receiving a graduate degree in architecture.
Career
In 1998, Francis Tsai joined Presto StudiosPresto Studios
Presto Studios was a computer game development company of the 1990s, especially famous for its award-winning The Journeyman Project series and the 2001 sequel to Cyan's hit Myst series, Myst III: Exile....
as Conceptual Designer where he provided visual development and game design for the video games Myst 3 and Star Trek: Hidden Evil
Star Trek: Hidden Evil
Star Trek: Hidden Evil is a third-person action-adventure video game released in 1999 by Activision. It was developed by Presto Studios for Windows 95 systems.- Plot :...
. In 2003, Tsai joined High Moon Studios where he was principal concept artist for the video games The Bourne Conspiracy
Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Conspiracy
Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Conspiracy is a third-person espionage video game developed by High Moon Studios and published by Sierra Entertainment for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game expands upon Robert Ludlum's character Jason Bourne, and immerses the player in a cat and mouse style...
and Darkwatch
Darkwatch
Darkwatch: Curse of the West is a 2005 Weird West first-person shooter video game for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. It was developed by High Moon Studios and published by Capcom in the United States and by Ubisoft in the European Union and Australia.The game mixes western, horror and steampunk genres...
.
Tsai has illustrated cards for the Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering , also known as Magic, is the first collectible trading card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic continues to thrive, with approximately twelve million players as of 2011...
collectible card game.
Tsai is currently working on a five-issue graphic novel miniseries called Tracker for Top Cow Productions. Tsai also contributes covers and interior art for Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
.
Tsai provided interior artwork for Secret Identities: The Asian American Superhero Anthology as well as covers and interior artwork for the serialized graphic novel Mercy Thompson: Homecoming, which reached number eight on the Comics Bestsellers list in October 2009. In a generally favorable review of the novel, Martha Cornog wrote, "Francis Tsai's and Amelia Woo's painted art, especially their beautiful wolf depictions, make this all visually believable." Tsai also created interiors for trade paperback Impaler.
Tsai has also provided interior artwork for a number of Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
manuals for Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
, including Sharn: City of Towers, Monster Manual III, d20 Future
D20 Future
d20 Future is an accessory for the d20 Modern role-playing game written by Christopher Perkins, Rodney Thompson, and JD Wiker. It facilitates the playing of campaigns in the far future, using elements such as cybernetics, mecha, mutations, robotics, space travel, starships, and xenobiology...
, Races of Eberron, Lost Empires of Faerûn
Lost Empires of Faerûn (accessory)
Lost Empires of Faerûn is a campaign supplement for the fictional Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Contents:...
, Explorer's Handbook
Explorer's Handbook
The Explorer's Handbook is a game manual for the Eberron campaign setting of the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Publication history:...
, Tome of Magic: Pact, Shadow, and Truename Magic
Tome of Magic
The title was reused for a 3.5 Edition supplement published in 2006. The new Tome of Magic is devoted to new forms and styles of magic as a path to power...
, Power of Faerûn, and d20 Future Tech. Tsai created the artwork for the Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition Dungeon Masters Screen.
Tsai has also provide visual development in the TV and film industries contributing concept artwork for Motion Theory's Gatorade "Inside Crosby" and Lenovo Thinkpad "Rollcage" commercials as well as the movies Sucker Punch and TMNT - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
He is also a regular contributor to ImagineFX magazine
ImagineFX
ImagineFX is a digital art magazine that features workshops and interviews with artists from the science fiction, fantasy, manga, anime, game and comic disciplines....
, where he has created a series of workshops including topics such as using 3-D in 2-D, effective character design and game concept art.
Francis Tsai wrote and illustrated the book Fantasy Art Academy: 100 Ways to Paint the Coolest Fantasy Figures for F&W Publications and recently released another book Extreme Worlds in November 2009. He is currently working on his third how-to book. Tsai is also currently working on Tracker, an upcoming miniseries from Top Cow Productions and Heroes and Villains Entertainment about an FBI agent who has contracted a virus that turns him into a werewolf. Issue 1 of 5 was released November 2009. Tsai has won numerous professional awards for his work.
Comics bibliography
- Heroes for HireHeroes For HireHeroes for Hire is a fictional superhero team published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in Power Man and Iron Fist #54 , and was created by Ed Hannigan and Lee Elias.-Publication history and original concept:...
#11, 14, 15 (2007, covers) - World War HulkWorld War Hulk"World War Hulk" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self titled limited series and various other titles published by Marvel Comics in 2007, featuring the Hulk....
Gamma CorpsGamma CorpsThe Gamma Corps are a fictional comic book military unit and an anti-hero team published by Marvel Comics. The team first appears in World War Hulk: Gamma Corps #1, and was created by Frank Tieri and Carlos Ferreira.-Fictional history:...
#4 (2007, cover) - ExilesExiles (Marvel Comics)The Exiles are a group of fictional characters that feature in three Marvel Comics series, Exiles, New Exiles, and Exiles vol. 2. The Exiles consists of characters from different dimensions, or realities, which have been removed from time and space in order to correct problems in various alternate...
#1 (March 2008, cover) - Marvel Adventures Spider-ManSpider-ManSpider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
#35 (March 2008, cover) - Marvel Adventures Iron ManIron ManIron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
#11 (May 2008, cover) - Marvel Comics PresentsMarvel Comics PresentsMarvel Comics Presents was an American comic book anthology series published by Marvel Comics originally from 1988 to 1995; it returned for a second volume in 2007-2008.-Volume 1:The first volume was released on a biweekly basis and lasted for 175 issues...
vol. 2 #3, 6 (2008, inks only) - Marvel Comics PresentsMarvel Comics PresentsMarvel Comics Presents was an American comic book anthology series published by Marvel Comics originally from 1988 to 1995; it returned for a second volume in 2007-2008.-Volume 1:The first volume was released on a biweekly basis and lasted for 175 issues...
vol. 2 #4, 7-12 (2008 pencils and inks) - Impaler vol. 1 (2008, interiors and color)
- Mercy Thompson: Homecoming vols. 1 and 2 (2008, covers and interiors)
- Secret Identities: The Asian American Superhero AnthologySecret Identities: The Asian American Superhero AnthologySecret Identities: The Asian American Superhero Anthology is a comics anthology edited by Jeff Yang, Parry Shen, Keith Chow, and Jerry Ma that brings together leading Asian American creators in the comics industry—including Gene Yang , Bernard Chang , Greg Pak , and Christine Norrie Secret...
(2009 pencils and inks) - Tracker (2010, Art)
External links
- Francis Tsai official website
- Francis Tsai on the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- Pen & Paper listing for Francis Tsai