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, whose birth name is Duk Hyun Cho, was born in 1971. He is a talented Korean-American artist who writes and draws comic strips and comic books.

He is famous for his comic strip series Liberty Meadows. Frank Cho has also worked on many popular comic books. These include Shanna the She-Devil, Mighty Avengers, and Hulk for Marvel Comics. He also created Jungle Girl for Dynamite Entertainment. Frank Cho is known for his amazing figure drawing and very precise lines in his artwork.

Early Life and Artistic Beginnings

Frank Cho was born in 1971 near Seoul, South Korea. His parents are Kyu Hyuk Cho and Bok Hee Cho. He has two brothers, Rino and Austin. When Frank was six, his family moved to the United States. They hoped to find better opportunities there. Frank grew up in Beltsville, Maryland.

His parents had college degrees. However, they did not speak English well. So, they took any jobs they could find to support their family. His mother worked in a shoe factory. His father was a carpenter by day and a janitor at a Greyhound Bus station at night.

Money was tight when Frank was growing up. He describes his childhood as "rough." He often had to find his own ways to stay busy after school. When Frank was ten, his older brother, Rino, brought home some comic books. Frank started copying the art from these books. A friend saw that Frank could draw the pictures without tracing. This friend encouraged Frank to become a comic artist.

Frank got better at drawing without much formal training. He only took some basic art classes. He found inspiration in older comics. These included Prince Valiant and Li'l Abner. He also admired artists like Norman Rockwell and Frank Frazetta.

After finishing High Point High School in 1990, he went to Prince George's Community College. He was offered a scholarship to the Maryland Institute College of Art. But he turned it down because he didn't like their focus. Frank's parents weren't very keen on him pursuing art. To make them happy, he transferred to the University of Maryland School of Nursing. He earned a degree in Nursing in 1996.

Frank Cho's Creative Career

Early Comic Strip Work

In the 1990s, Frank Cho began his career. He wrote and drew a cartoon strip called Everything but the Kitchen Sink. This appeared in his college newspaper, The Owl. He was also the comics editor there. Later, at the University of Maryland, College Park, he drew a daily strip. It was called University² for the student newspaper, The Diamondback.

After college, Cho used ideas from his student work. He created a professional comic strip called Liberty Meadows. He signed a long contract for this strip. After five years, he grew tired of fighting with his editor. They often argued about censoring the strip. The pressure of daily deadlines was also tough. So, he stopped the syndicated version in 2001. However, he continued to publish it uncensored in book form.

Working with Major Comic Publishers

In the 2000s, Frank Cho started doing more work for other publishers. He drew covers and art for various comic books. These included Ultimate Spider-Man Super Special for Marvel Comics in 2000. He also worked on The Savage Dragon #100 and The Amazing Spider-Man #46.

He then began drawing full stories for Marvel's Spider-Man books. He worked on Marvel Knights Spider-Man in 2004 and 2005. He also drew The Astonishing Spider-Man #123.

Frank Cho drew issues of Marvel's New Avengers in 2006. He also illustrated the first six issues of Mighty Avengers in 2007. He is the writer and cover artist for Jungle Girl from Dynamite Entertainment. Cho drew issues 7–9 of Hulk in 2009. From 2010 to 2011, he illustrated New Ultimates. In 2011, he worked on the miniseries X-Men: Schism.

Recent Projects and New Characters

In 2013, Marvel launched Savage Wolverine. Frank Cho wrote and illustrated this series. It featured Wolverine, Shanna the She-Devil, and Amadeus Cho. The story had a "Lost World" feel. It was inspired by Indiana Jones films and H.P. Lovecraft's stories.

In 2016, Marvel released Totally Awesome Hulk. Frank Cho drew the first four issues. This series showed teenager Amadeus Cho becoming the new Hulk. After this, Frank Cho's contract with Marvel ended. He then joined DC Comics. He drew special variant covers for the first 24 issues of Wonder Woman.

As of 2016, Cho was writing and drawing Skybourne for Boom! Studios. This was his own five-issue series. He described it as a mix of Highlander, Game of Death, and Cthulhu. The story is about a god searching for the mythical sword Excalibur. This sword is the only weapon that can kill him.

Cho was also working on another book he created, World of Payne. He worked with Tom Sniegoski on this. It stars Lockwood Payne, a psychic private investigator. The book is part novel and part comic. Cho said it's like Sherlock Holmes meets Harry Potter.

Artistic Tools and Methods

Frank Cho creates his artwork on Strathmore 300 Series Bristol Pad. This paper has a smooth, vellum-like surface.

To draw his initial sketches, called penciling, Cho uses a Pentel mechanical pencil. It has 0.7mm HB lead. For inking his drawings, he uses black Micron Pigma pens. He uses sizes 01 and 08. To erase, he uses both a Vanish eraser and a kneaded eraser.

Personal Life and Beliefs

Frank Cho met his first wife, Cari Guthrie, at the University of Maryland. They were married in 1999. Their first child was born in 2001, and their second in 2004. They lived in Ellicott City, Maryland. Frank Cho has two children. He identifies as a "life-long liberal Democrat." He supports free speech and equal rights for everyone.

Awards and Recognition

Frank Cho has won many awards for his amazing artwork and stories:

• 1994 College Cartoonist Charles M. Schulz Award
• 1999 Ignatz Award for Outstanding Artist (for Liberty Meadows #1)
• 1999 Ignatz Award for Outstanding Comic (for Liberty Meadows #1)
• 2001 National Cartoonists Society's Award for Best Comic Book
• 2001 National Cartoonists Society's Award for Best Book Illustration
• 2002 Max & Moritz Medal for Best International Comic Strip
• 2006 Haxtur Award for Best Artist
• 2006 Haxtur Award for Best In Show
• 2006 Eagle Award for Best Artist (for Liberty Meadows and Shanna the She-Devil)
• 2006 Eagle Award for Best Artist for Best In Show (for Liberty Meadows and Shanna the She-Devil)
• 2008 Eagle Award for Favourite Comics Artist: Pencils
• 2011 The Emmy Award for the documentary Creating Frank Cho's World
• 2011 The Daily Record Influential Marylander Award for Communications
• 2017 Ringo Award for Best Cover Artist
• 2023 Doylean Honors for Best Illustration

Award Nominations

He has also been nominated for several other prestigious awards:

• 2000 Eisner Award for Best Cover Artist
• 2006 Harvey Award for Best Artist
• 2006 Harvey Award for Best Cartoonist
• 2006 Harvey Award for Best Cover Artist
• 2006 Haxtur Award for Best Cover Artist
• 2006 Haxtur Award for Best Humor

See also

In Spanish: Frank Cho para niños