Jo Chen (; born July 4, 1976) is an American

comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...

artist and writer best known for her highly detailed painted comic book covers. In the Japanese comic industry she is also known by the pen name TogaQ and is known as Jun Togai ("Togai Jun" 咎井淳).

Early life

Chen was born in

Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

and emigrated to the United States in late 1994.

Career

Working professionally in the Asian comic book industry since age fourteen, she began her career in the U.S. comic book industry with her art work for the Racer X mini-series, part of the Speed Racer series published by Wildstorm/DC Comics in 2000. She established herself producing interiors and covers for titles including ''Darkminds: Macropolis'', '' Battle of the Planets'', ''

Robotech ''Robotech'' is an American-Japanese science fiction Media franchise, franchise that began with an 85-episode anime television series produced by Harmony Gold USA in association with Tatsunoko Production; it was first released in the United St ...

'', '' 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 '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine'' comics published by

Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, manga and Artist's book, art book publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon, by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, O ...

. 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 is a literary genre defined as a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, legendary creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature that are anthropomorphized, and that illustrates or leads to a parti ...

'', '' 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). Under the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's o ...

TogaQ, she and author Kichiku Neko (aka, Narcissus) created the

yaoi , also known by its abbreviation , is a genre of fictional media originating in Japan that depicts homoerotic relationships between male characters. It is typically created by women for a female audience, distinguishing it from the equivale ...

doujinshi-turned

manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...

series, ''In These Words''. The title was eventually picked up by Japanese publisher,

Libre Publishing , formerly known as from 2006 to 2016, is a Japanese publishing company owned by Animate (retailer), Animate. Libre primarily publishes ''yaoi'' and teens' love manga and light novels, which are run in their magazines ''Magazine Be × Boy'' and ...

and serialized in the

comic anthology, ''Be x Boy Gold''. She is the younger sister of artist Christina Chen, and lives with her family outside of Washington, D.C.

Bibliography

Interior work

* ''Racer X'' #1-3 (DC/Wildstorm, 2000). 3-issue miniseries. * ''Darkminds: Macropolis'' #1-4 ( Dreamwave, 2002). By Jo Chen and Christina Chen. * ''

: 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 Planets / Witchblade'' ( Top Cow). Jo Chen assists her sister Christina Chen in the pencils of this one-shot crossover. Talking about the series in ''The Pulse'' in 2002, she said "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 Mirror'' 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) * '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight: Always Darkest'' (Dark Horse Presents, Dark Horse 2009) * ''In These Words'' volumes 1 and 2 (Digital Media: 801 Media (English version), Libre Publishing (Japanese version), TokyoPop (German version), Taifu Comics (French version), ImageFrame (Korean version), Guilt Pleasure (Chinese version), HongSamut (Thai version) by Jo Chen (TogaQ) and Kichiku Neko. * ''Cruel to be Kind'' Guilt Pleasure (Chinese and English versions) by Jo Chen (TogaQ) and Kichiku Neko 2010. * ''Father Figure'' Guilt Pleasure (Chinese and English versions), Libre Publishing (Japanese version), ImageFrame (Korean version) by Jo Chen (TogaQ) and Kichiku Neko 2010 - 2014. * ''Maybe Someday'' Guilt Pleasure (Chinese and English versions), Libre Publishing (Japanese version), ImageFrame (Korean version) by Jo Chen (TogaQ) and Kichiku Neko 2015.

Cover work

* ''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 Book'': #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 Tomorrow'' #5 (DC/Vertigo) * '' Robin'' #115-117,119-120 (DC Comics) * '' The Taskmaster'' #2 of mini-series (Marvel, 2002). * '' Runaways'' 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 Asgard'' #7-12 (Marvel, 2004–2005) * '' Street Fighter''. Jo Chen has done several covers for the "power foil" variant covers of the Street Fighter comic-book series produced by the

UDON Udon ( or ) is a thick noodle made from wheat flour, used in Japanese cuisine. There are a variety of ways it is prepared and served. Its simplest form is in a soup as with a mild broth called made from dashi, soy sauce, and mirin. It is usual ...

studios. Some of these covers were also used in some Street Fighter merchandising (at least in prints and control pads). * '' Serenity: Those Left Behind'' #2 - Kaylee (Dark Horse, 2005). * ''Eva: Daughter of the Dragon'' (Dynamite Entertainment, 2007). * '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight'' #1-10, 16-30 (Dark Horse, 2006-2010). * '' Serenity: Better Days'' trade paperback edition (Dark Horse, 2008). * '' Rex Mundi (Dark Horse Comics)'' #16 (Dark Horse, 2009). * '' Incarnate'' #1-3 (Radical Publishing, 2009-2010). * '' Darkstalkers Tribute'' hard and trade paperback covers (UDON Entertainment, 2009). * '' Star Wars: Invasion'' #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 Days'' 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 Nine'' #1 (Dark Horse, 2011). * '' Angel and Faith'' #1 (Dark Horse, 2011). * '' Superman: Grounded Vol 1 #707'' (DC Comics, 2011). * '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine Volume 1: Freefall TPB'' (Dark Horse, 2012). * '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine Volume 2: On Your Own TPB'' (Dark Horse, 2012). * '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine Volume 3: Guarded TPB'' (Dark Horse, 2013). * '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine Volume 4: Welcome to the Team TPB'' (Dark Horse, 2013). * '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine: Spike—A Dark Place TPB'' (Dark Horse, 2013). * '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine Volume 5: The Core TPB'' (Dark Horse, 2014).

References

External links

* *
Jo Chen
at deviantART
Preview
of the ''Robotech: Love and War'' miniseries, with several pages of the back up stories drawn by Jo Chen.

- NY Magazine previews Jo's short story from TokyoPop's release of '' The Other Side of the Mirror''. {{DEFAULTSORT:Chen, Jo 1976 births American female comics artists American comics writers American people of Taiwanese descent American artists of Chinese descent Living people American female comics writers Artists from Taipei Women manga artists 21st-century American women