Michael Cho (illustrator)

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Cho at the 2017 WonderCon. Michael Cho by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Cho at the 2017 WonderCon.

Michael Cho is a Canadian illustrator and cartoonist. He has been nominated for a number of awards and his work has been positively reviewed.

Contents

Early life

Cho was born in Seoul, South Korea, but immigrated to Canada at the age of 6. [1] He has said "In some ways I learned to read English by reading comic books. And of course, I copied all the drawings." [2] Before becoming a successful freelance artist, Cho graduated from Ontario College of Art & Design. [3]

Career

Cho's artwork appears in a number of different genres. He has painted book covers for Random House/Knopf [1] and Penguin Books. [4] His cover for White Noise has been called a "remarkable" design that "masterfully captures" [4] aspects of the novel. He is the creator of the webcomic Papercut, [5] has done illustrations for The New York Times Book Review , and has created comics work for Taddle Creek literary magazine. [1]

His work retains classic comic book aspects and "evokes the pop art of Roy Lichtenstein and aesthetics of Silver and Bronze age superhero comics in equal measure." [4] He has provided cover art for several DC Comics reprint collections [6] and drew the 1940s variant cover for Action Comics #1000 (June 2018). [7] as well as the 1950s variant cover for Detective Comics #1000 (May 2019). [8] Many individuals know about all the work Cho has created for DC and their comics, but Cho has also illustrated cover art for Marvel Comics characters and series such as Captain America, the Fantastic Four, Daredevil, and even Spider-Man. [9]

On September 2, 2014, Cho published his first graphic novel, Shoplifter. [10] Each illustration is done in two-colors. He states that he likes two-tone work because it allows him to focus on the mood and atmosphere. [10] To paint the tones, he used colored inks, and the rest was done with brushes, pens, and brush pens. [11]

Joe Biden's presidential campaign commissioned Michael Cho to design three comic images. The images were posted on their social medias. [12]

In 2025, Cho collaborated with writer Chip Kidd on The Avengers in The Veracity Trap!, a graphic novel published by Abrams ComicsArt as part of their Marvel Arts line. [13]

Awards and nominations

A few accomplishments he has earned are: Silver Canadian National Magazine Award in 2007, a Joe Shuster nomination and also had piece of work make it into the Best American Comics 2010. [3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Gaiman, Neil, ed. (2010). The Best American Comics 2010. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 318. ISBN   978-0547241777.
  2. Hooper, Terry. "Finding Max Finder Artist Michael Cho". Comics Bulletin. Archived from the original on April 10, 2010.
  3. 1 2 Neo, Mr Geo (October 24, 2015). "Michael Cho". Illustrators’ Lounge. Archived from the original on June 27, 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 Semley, John (December 12, 2009). "Interview with Michael Cho". Maisonneuve . Archived from the original on April 15, 2013.
  5. 1 2 "Joe Shuster Award 2009 Nominees and Winners". Canadian Comic Book Creator Awards Association. n.d. Archived from the original on October 23, 2018.
  6. Michael Cho at the Grand Comics Database
  7. "DC Unveils Final Variant For Action Comics #1000". Previews. Diamond Comic Distributors. March 7, 2018. Archived from the original on August 9, 2018.
  8. Grunenwald, Joe (December 18, 2018). "Frank Miller, Jim Steranko, Tim Sale among Detective Comics #1000 cover artists". comicsbeat.com. Archived from the original on December 13, 2024.
  9. "Michael Cho". Marvel Entertainment. n.d. Archived from the original on January 22, 2026.
  10. 1 2 Gavaler, Chris (January 17, 2019). "Michael Cho's Shoplifter Showcases What He Does Best". PopMatters. Archived from the original on February 3, 2019.
  11. Harper, David (August 27, 2014). "Talking Shoplifter and the Next Phase with Cartoonist Michael Cho [Interview]". Multiversity Comics. Archived from the original on October 2, 2015.
  12. "Michael Cho | Joe Biden Campaign - Rapp|Art Illustration Agency". Rapp|Art. Archived from the original on June 17, 2025.
  13. Maher, John (June 20, 2025). "Who We Really Are Inside: PW Talks with Chip Kidd". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on January 2, 2026.
  14. 1 2 "About Taddle Creek". Taddle Creek . n.d. Archived from the original on September 21, 2018.
  15. Arrant, Chris (September 5, 2017). "2017 Joe Shuster Awards Winners (Full List)". Newsarama. Archived from the original on September 21, 2018.
  16. "Hardcover Graphic Books". The New York Times. October 12, 2014. Archived from the original on November 30, 2021. #9: 3 weeks on the list, Shoplifterby Michael Cho, Pantheon
  17. "2018 Ringo Awards". Ringo Awards. 2018. Archived from the original on February 13, 2026.