The Monkey King: Sean Chen
Sean Chen has been a major part of the comic book industry for over three decades. Starting with Valiant Comics, his debut book, Rai and the Future Force, topped the charts with over 800,000 copies sold. He then found a new home at Marvel where he started what would become the longest and most remembered run of his career working on Iron Man.
For the next decade, he was the artist on a number of titles, including Wolverine, X-Men, Spiderman, Nova, and the Avengers. For DC Comics, he has drawn Superman, The Teen Titans, and Batman Beyond. Currently, Sean is writing and drawing his creator-owned title Evermind for 247 Comics.
What does the Monkey King mean to you?
What I find most fascinating is how enduring the Monkey King has become. A single source of inspiration that spawned a myriad of interpretations across all media. This exhibit alone showcases a variety of "takes" that each artist has for the character. The fact that the story has endured and spread so far and wide is a testament to how beloved Sun Wukong is and how he can be interpreted to fit any time, place, or genre.
What is the one thing you hope viewers get from your work?
I hope it's evident that we're comic book artists who go a step beyond the single illustration. We're storytellers whose primary directive is to deliver a narrative. Even though I'm displaying single images, most of these are part of an immersive story experience no different than that of a novel or movie. For viewers who are unfamiliar with comics, I hope they give this often overlooked medium a try and see the wonderful things it has to offer.
Who's your favorite superhero and why?
Iron Man is my favorite superhero because he is entirely self-made without any supernatural or mutant superpowers. He cultivated a genius intellect and leveraged it to earn a place amongst a team of superpowered beings. He's also a flawed character which makes him very real and relatable. I had the honor to draw Iron Man for Marvel Comics for three years, adding to the lore of the man that would go on to lead the Avengers.