Jo Chen
Encyclopedia
Jo Chen is a female comic book
artist and writer best known for her highly detailed painted comic book covers.
, Taiwan
and emigrated to the United States
in late 1994. Working professionally in the Asian comic book industry since age fourteen, she burst suddenly onto the U.S. comic book scene with her art work for the Racer X
mini-series, part of the Speed Racer
series published by Wildstorm/D.C. Comics
in 2000.
She quickly established herself producing interiors and covers for titles including Darkminds: Macropolis, Battle of the Planets
, Robotech
, Fight For Tomorrow
, Taskmaster
, The Demon, Thor
, and (Batman &) Robin
. Currently she is most well known to American comic readers as the cover artist of Runaways
, and Joss Whedon
's Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8
and the current Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9
comics published by Dark Horse Comics
. She will also participate on the Whedon-Dark Horse Angel book.
In other media, Chen has also produced packaging artwork for Microsoft's popular Xbox
Fable
, Fable: The Lost Chapters, Fable II and Fable III
RPGs, and done covers for PlayStation Magazine
(a Final Fantasy cover for the January 2002 issue and a Tomb Raider cover for the February 2003 issue).
She is the younger sister of artist Christina Chen and lives with her family outside of Washington, D.C.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
artist and writer best known for her highly detailed painted comic book covers.
Biography
Chen was born in TaipeiTaipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
, Taiwan
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 emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in late 1994. Working professionally in the Asian comic book industry since age fourteen, she burst suddenly onto the U.S. comic book scene with her art work for the Racer X
Speed Racer
Speed Racer is an English adaptation name of the Japanese manga and anime, which centered on automobile racing. Mach GoGoGo was originally serialized in print form in Shueisha's 1958 Shōnen Book, and was released in tankōbon book form by Sun Wide Comics, re-released in Japan by Fusosha...
mini-series, part of the Speed Racer
Speed Racer
Speed Racer is an English adaptation name of the Japanese manga and anime, which centered on automobile racing. Mach GoGoGo was originally serialized in print form in Shueisha's 1958 Shōnen Book, and was released in tankōbon book form by Sun Wide Comics, re-released in Japan by Fusosha...
series published by Wildstorm/D.C. Comics
Wildstorm
WildStorm Productions, or simply WildStorm, published American comic books. Originally an independent company established by Jim Lee and further expanded upon in subsequent years by other creators, WildStorm became a publishing imprint of DC Comics in 1999...
in 2000.
She quickly established herself producing interiors and covers for titles including Darkminds: Macropolis, Battle of the Planets
Battle of the Planets (comics)
The Battle of the Planets comic book series was based on a television series of the same name. It was originally published by Gold Key Comics, with Top Cow releasing a number of comics more recently.-Publication history:...
, Robotech
Robotech (comics)
Robotech comics first officially appeared in print in 1985, though Comico published the first issue of its license from Harmony Gold USA under the Macross name....
, Fight For Tomorrow
Fight For Tomorrow
Fight for Tomorrow was a six-issue limited series of comic books by writer Brian Wood and artist Denys Cowan, published 2002-2003 by Vertigo....
, Taskmaster
Taskmaster
Taskmaster is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. The character is primarily a supervillain but is often portrayed as an antihero. The Taskmaster first appeared in Avengers vol.1 #195 and was created by David Michelinie and George Pérez...
, The Demon, Thor
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
, and (Batman &) Robin
Robin (comics)
Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
. Currently she is most well known to American comic readers as the cover artist of Runaways
Runaways (comics)
Runaways is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series features a group of teenagers who discover that their parents are part of an evil crime group called the Pride. Created by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona, the series debuted in April of 2003 as part of Marvel Comics'...
, and Joss Whedon
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...
's Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight is a comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics. The series serves as a canonical continuation of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and follows the events of that show's final televised season. It is produced by Joss Whedon, who wrote the...
and the current Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine is the sequel to the Season Eight comic book series, a canonical continuation of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer...
comics published by Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
. She will also participate on the Whedon-Dark Horse Angel book.
In other media, Chen has also produced packaging artwork for Microsoft's popular Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
Fable
Fable (video game)
Fable is an action role-playing video game in the Fable series. It was developed for Xbox, Mac OS X, and Windows platforms, by Big Blue Box, a satellite developer of Lionhead Studios, and was published by Microsoft. The game shipped for Xbox on October 14, 2003...
, Fable: The Lost Chapters, Fable II and Fable III
Fable III
Fable III is the third video game in the Fable series of action role-playing games . The game was developed by Lionhead Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360. The story focuses on the player character's struggle to overthrow the King of Albion by...
RPGs, and done covers for PlayStation Magazine
PlayStation: The Official Magazine
PlayStation: The Official Magazine is a magazine originally known as PlayStation Magazine . After Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine was canceled, Sony Computer Entertainment announced on October 1, 2007 that PSM would become "PlayStation: The Official Magazine"...
(a Final Fantasy cover for the January 2002 issue and a Tomb Raider cover for the February 2003 issue).
She is the younger sister of artist Christina Chen and lives with her family outside of Washington, D.C.
Comics
Comic interiors include:- Racer X #1-3 (DC/Wildstorm, 2000). 3-issue miniseries.
- Darkminds: Macropolis #1-4 (Dreamwave, 2002). By Jo Chen and Christina Chen.
- RobotechRobotech (comics)Robotech comics first officially appeared in print in 1985, though Comico published the first issue of its license from Harmony Gold USA under the Macross name....
: Love and War (DC/Wildstorm, 2003). Jo Chen drew "Little White Dragon", a back-up story included in every issue of the miniseries. Also drew a cover for the back-up story of #6. - Battle of the PlanetsBattle of the Planets (comics)The Battle of the Planets comic book series was based on a television series of the same name. It was originally published by Gold Key Comics, with Top Cow releasing a number of comics more recently.-Publication history:...
/ WitchbladeWitchbladeWitchblade is an American comic book series published by Top Cow Productions, an imprint of Image Comics, from 1995 until present. The series was created by Top Cow editors Marc Silvestri and David Wohl, writers Brian Haberlin and Christina Z, and artist Michael Turner.The series follows Sara...
(Top Cow). Jo Chen assists her sister Christina Chen in the pencils of this one-shot crossover. In her own words (in an interview in The Pulse, in 2002): "Christina is the lead artist and I am only assisting with some minor peripheral characters that pop up in a panel crowd scene." - The Other Side of the MirrorThe Other Side of the Mirror (manhua)The Other Side of the Mirror is a comic written and illustrated by Jo Chen. It was originally published by Tong Li Comics in Taiwan and has been translated into several languages, including English.-Publication:...
volumes 1 & 2 (TokyoPop (English version), JPOP (Italian version), 2007–2008) - Speed Racer & Racer X: The Origins Collection trade paperback collection of DC/Wildstorm series (IDW Publishing, 2008)
Covers
Comic covers include:- Speed Racer Presents: Racer X: #1 (DC/Wildstorm, 2000).
- Darkminds Macropolis: #1-#5 (Image and Dreamwave Productions, 2001-2003).
- Warlands: The Age of Ice: #2 (Dreamwave Productions, 2001).
- Battle of the Planets: Battle BookBattle of the Planets (comics)The Battle of the Planets comic book series was based on a television series of the same name. It was originally published by Gold Key Comics, with Top Cow releasing a number of comics more recently.-Publication history:...
: #1 (Top Cow, 2002). - Darkminds Macropolis: trade paperback (Dreamwave Productions, 2003).
- The Demon: Driven out #1 (DC Comics, 2003). The cover of the #2 of this miniseries was drawn by her sister, Christina Chen.
- Fight for TomorrowFight For TomorrowFight for Tomorrow was a six-issue limited series of comic books by writer Brian Wood and artist Denys Cowan, published 2002-2003 by Vertigo....
#5 (DC/Vertigo) - RobinRobin (comics)Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
#115-117,119-120 (DC Comics) - The TaskmasterTaskmasterTaskmaster is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. The character is primarily a supervillain but is often portrayed as an antihero. The Taskmaster first appeared in Avengers vol.1 #195 and was created by David Michelinie and George Pérez...
#2 of mini-series (Marvel, 2002). - RunawaysRunaways (comics)Runaways is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series features a group of teenagers who discover that their parents are part of an evil crime group called the Pride. Created by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona, the series debuted in April of 2003 as part of Marvel Comics'...
Vol. 1 #1-6, 8-10, 13-18 (Marvel, 2003–2004) & Runaways Vol.2 #1-6, 9-10 & 19-30 (Marvel, 2005–2008). - World Mythology: An Anthology of the Great Myths and Epics (third edition) (NTC Publishing Group, 2004)
- Thor: Son of AsgardThor: Son of AsgardThor: Son of Asgard is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics from March 2004 to January 2005. Written by Akira Yoshida and illustrated by Greg Tocchini, the series follows Thor's early adventures in Asgard with Sif and Balder...
#7-12 (Marvel, 2004–2005) - Street FighterStreet Fighter (UDON)Street Fighter is an American comic book based on the Street Fighter franchise and published by UDON under license from Capcom. This series draws not only on the established Street Fighter canon, but also occasionally addresses various continuity retcons, and even draws from fanon and non-official...
. Jo Chen has done several covers for the "power foil" variant covers of the Street Fighter comic-book series produced by the UDONUDONUDON Entertainment Corporation is a studio of Asian-influenced comic book creators that provides creative services to the entertainment industry. The company is a publisher of comic books, graphic novels, and art books, as well as English editions of Japanese manga and Korean manhwa titles. Erik...
studios. Some of these covers were also used in some Street Fighter merchandising (at least in prints and control pads). - Serenity: Those Left BehindSerenity: Those Left BehindSerenity: Those Left Behind is a 2005 three-issue comic book limited series published by Dark Horse Comics. It was written by Brett Matthews with Joss Whedon credited for story, illustrated by Will Conrad, and colored by Laura Martin....
#2 - Kaylee (Dark Horse, 2005). - Eva: Daughter of the Dragon (Dynamite Entertainment, 2007).
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season EightBuffy the Vampire Slayer Season EightBuffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight is a comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics. The series serves as a canonical continuation of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and follows the events of that show's final televised season. It is produced by Joss Whedon, who wrote the...
#1-10, 16-30 (Dark Horse, 2006-2010). - Serenity: Better DaysSerenity: Better DaysSerenity: Better Days is a 2008 three-issue comic book miniseries published by Dark Horse Comics, based on the 2002 science fiction television series Firefly, and the 2005 feature film into which it was adapted, Serenity....
trade paperback edition (Dark Horse, 2008). - Incarnate #1-3 (Radical Publishing, 2009-2010).
- Darkstalkers Tribute hard and trade paperback covers (UDON Entertainment, 2009).
- Star Wars: InvasionStar Wars: InvasionStar Wars: Invasion is an American comic book series set in the Star Wars universe. The series, published by Dark Horse Comics, is written by Tom Taylor, and illustrated by Colin Wilson with color by Wes Dzioba...
#1-6 (Dark Horse, 2009-2010). - Roaming Cadenza (A Bard's Folktale) Kindle edition (Aramis Barron, 2010).
- Serenity: Float Out one-shot (Dark Horse, 2010).
- Serenity: Better DaysSerenity: Better DaysSerenity: Better Days is a 2008 three-issue comic book miniseries published by Dark Horse Comics, based on the 2002 science fiction television series Firefly, and the 2005 feature film into which it was adapted, Serenity....
hard cover edition (Dark Horse, 2011). - From the Pages of Hellboy: B.P.R.D. The Dead Remembered #1-4 (Dark Horse, 2011).
- Samurai's Blood #1-6 (Benaroya Publishing - Image, 2011).
- Kull: The Cat and the Skull #1-4 (Dark Horse, 2011).
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season NineBuffy the Vampire Slayer Season NineBuffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine is the sequel to the Season Eight comic book series, a canonical continuation of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer...
#1-current (Dark Horse, 2011-). - AngelAngelAngels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
#1-current (Dark Horse, 2011-).
External links
- Jo Chen at deviantARTDeviantArtdeviantART is an online community showcasing various forms of user-made artwork. It was first launched on August 7, 2000 by Scott Jarkoff, Matthew Stephens, Angelo Sotira and others. deviantArt, Inc...
- Cover of the first issue of the a new Buffy the vampire slayer miniseries to be published in fall 2006, written by Joss Whedon.
- Preview of the Robotech: Love and War miniseries, with several pages of the back up stories drawn by Jo Chen.
- 99 Roses - NY Magazine previews Jo's short story from TokyoPop's release of The Other Side of the MirrorThe Other Side of the Mirror (manhua)The Other Side of the Mirror is a comic written and illustrated by Jo Chen. It was originally published by Tong Li Comics in Taiwan and has been translated into several languages, including English.-Publication:...
.