Frank Cho facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Frank Cho
Cho at the 2018 Phoenix Comic Fest
Born	Duk Hyun Cho 1971 (age 53–54) Seoul, South Korea
Nationality	American
Area(s)	Cartoonist, Writer, Penciller, Inker
Notable works	Liberty Meadows
Awards	2006 Haxtur Award for Best Artist 2006 Haxtur Award for Best In Show 2001 National Cartoonists Society's Award for Best Comic Book 2001 National Cartoonists Society's Award for Best Book Illustration Charles M. Schulz Award for Excellence in Cartooning Max & Moritz Medal for Best International Comic Strip

Frank Cho (born Duk Hyun Cho in 1971) is a Korean-American writer and artist for comic strips and comic books. He is famous for his comic strip Liberty Meadows. He has also worked on popular books for Marvel Comics, like Shanna the She-Devil, Mighty Avengers, and Hulk. Cho is known for his very detailed and precise drawing style.

Early Life and Education

Frank Cho was born in Seoul, South Korea, in 1971. When he was six years old, his family moved to the United States to find better jobs. Cho grew up in Beltsville, Maryland.

His parents had college degrees, but they did not speak English well at first. They took any jobs they could to support their family. Because money was tight, Cho had to find his own ways to have fun. When he was ten, his older brother brought home some comic books. Cho started copying the art from them. A friend saw that Cho could draw the pictures without tracing and told him he should become a comic artist.

Cho learned to draw on his own, with only a few basic art classes. He was inspired by older comics like Prince Valiant and Li'l Abner. He also admired artists like Norman Rockwell, N.C. Wyeth, and Frank Frazetta.

After high school, Cho's parents wanted him to have a stable career. To make them happy, he went to the University of Maryland School of Nursing. He graduated with a degree in nursing in 1996, but he never stopped drawing.

Career as a Comic Artist

Starting Out in the 1990s

While in college, Cho drew a cartoon strip called University² for the student newspaper, The Diamondback. This strip became very popular on campus.

After graduating, Cho turned University² into a professional comic strip called Liberty Meadows. He signed a 15-year contract to have it published in newspapers. However, after five years, Cho grew tired of the daily deadlines. He also had disagreements with his editor about the strip's content. In 2001, he decided to stop publishing Liberty Meadows in newspapers. He continued to release it in book form, where he had more creative freedom.

In 1999, Cho was a judge for the Ignatz Awards, which honor independent comics. He nominated his own book, Liberty Meadows, for an award. This caused some debate, as people felt it was unusual for a judge to nominate their own work. Cho later said that nominating himself was a mistake. His comic ended up winning two awards that year.

Working with Marvel in the 2000s

While working on Liberty Meadows, Cho also drew covers for other comic books. He worked on titles like The Amazing Spider-Man and Hellboy: Weird Tales.

Axel Alonso, an editor at Marvel Comics, was impressed by Cho's art. He asked Cho to work on a new series for the character Shanna the She-Devil. Cho reimagined Shanna as a powerful woman raised in the jungle, created from a science experiment. The 2005 series showed her amazing strength, including the ability to fight dinosaurs with her bare hands.

After Shanna, Cho worked on many other Marvel comics. He drew issues of New Avengers and was the main artist for the first six issues of Mighty Avengers in 2007. He also drew several issues of the Hulk comic book series in 2009.

Projects in the 2010s

In 2013, Cho wrote and drew a new series for Marvel called Savage Wolverine. The story featured the popular hero Wolverine teaming up with Shanna the She-Devil. The adventure was set in a "lost world" and was inspired by movies like Indiana Jones.

In 2016, Cho began drawing Totally Awesome Hulk. This series, written by Greg Pak, featured the character Amadeus Cho becoming the new Hulk. After drawing the first four issues, Cho's exclusive contract with Marvel ended.

He then started drawing special covers for DC Comics' Wonder Woman series. However, he left the project after a few issues because of creative differences with the writer, Greg Rucka.

Cho also began working on his own creator-owned books. He wrote and drew a five-part series called Skybourne for Boom! Studios. He described it as a mix of Highlander and adventure stories. He also co-created a book called World of Payne, which he described as a mix of Sherlock Holmes and Harry Potter.

Drawing Style and Tools

Cho is known for his clean and detailed art. He uses a Pentel mechanical pencil with HB lead to draw his pictures. To ink his work, he uses black Micron Pigma pens. This combination of tools helps him create his precise lines.

Personal Life

Cho married his first wife, Cari Guthrie, in 1999. They have two children together. The couple separated in 2008 and later divorced. Cho identifies himself as a supporter of free speech and equal rights.

Awards and Recognition

Frank Cho has won many awards for his work in comics.

• 1999 Ignatz Award for Outstanding Artist
• 2001 National Cartoonists Society's Award for Best Comic Book
• 2006 Haxtur Award for Best Artist
• 2008 Eagle Award for Favourite Comics Artist: Pencils
• 2011 Emmy Award for the documentary Creating Frank Cho's World
• 2017 Ringo Award for Best Cover Artist

See also

In Spanish: Frank Cho para niños