Though he couldn’t divulge any classified information about what’s actually going to happen inside the covers of the comic, Chiang was able to discuss what makes Wonder Woman such an enduring icon as well as why Diana would make for a badass rock star. Also discussed: Cliff’s love of ’80s music and giant robots. Not necessarily in that order.

UPDATED June 27, 2011: Pre-order information for Cliff’s “Mecha” t-shirt is now available at Epic Proportions!

——-

What was your initial reaction upon learning you were penciling Wonder Woman?
Excitement, then dread. It’s a lot of pressure!

My daughter, who will be four soon, just instinctively says Wonder Woman is her favorite superhero. Why do you think she has been such an enduring icon?
She’s THE female superhero, and is the vessel for everything we want women to be. Like Superman, it’s an impossible standard, so it’s a good thing she’s fictional!

Since NBC didn’t pick up the television show starring Adrianne Palicki, are you disappointed there won’t be a high-profile live action Wonder Woman this fall?
It would be great to have more Wonder Woman stuff out there, but I’m kinda relieved that our book won’t have to “compete” — or worse, tie into — a show that has a very different premise.

Why has it been so difficult to adapt Wonder Woman for live action?
More than any other character, Wonder Woman means different things to different people. If you put ten people in a room, you’ll get ten different answers, and most of them will not make for good comics or adaptations.

Speaking of “adapting” Wonder Woman, I kinda love the piece you did recently depicting Diana as Joan Jett (and Canary as Cherie Currie?). What was the inspiration behind that?
I was watching “The Runaways” with my wife, and I realized how important women rockers are to young girls, as a model for independence and confounding expectations. Check out the Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls, and you can see how rock becomes an important tool for empowerment and growth. It’s awesome. Female superheroes do a similar thing, so that piece is not about Wonder Woman having Joan Jett hair — fun as it is, but really it’s about rocking out and owning your identity.

Your “12 inch remixes” are always consistently great in concept and execution. Clearly, you’re a big fan of 80s iconography. How did the idea of mashing up superheroes and classic 80s album covers first come about?
A friend needed flyers for a club party where he’d have dancers in costume, so I needed to figure out a way to combine music and
superheroes. He’s a huge Batgirl fan, so I was looking at images of Batgirl and her motorcycle and something clicked: the colors, the
bike, the attitude — Prince! I just started laughing and pretty much laughed the whole time I was drawing it.

Batgirl/”Purple Rain” is an all-time favorite, for sure! Do you have any more “remix” ideas brewing at the moment?
No, I’ll probably take a break from them. It’s hard to find the right combination of character and album cover. Both need to be pretty
recognizable for the gag to work, and the original album images need to have enough story to comment on the character. I rejected a lot of ideas because they’d just end up being portraits. It’s a tricky thing to balance.

I still remember a pretty epic night of karaoke a few years back with Jeff Yang, Derek Kirk Kim, and a few others. What’s your ultimate 80s karaoke playlist?
Two words: Peter. Cetera.

Speaking of “epic,” (see what I did there?) how did Jerry Ma sucker you in to designing a t-shirt for Epic Proportions?
We’ve been talking about doing an Epic Props shirt for a while, actually, and this year we’re sharing a booth at San Diego, so I had to rally and give him a cool design. It’s for his Signature Line, which has shirts from Walt Simonson, Geoff Darrow, and Larry Hama, so there was a lot to live up to.

It really is a fantastic design, can you talk a little about the back story behind it? You’re not normally associated with giant robots or that whole mecha aesthetic.
I’ve been watching a lot of anime and reading manga, so giant robots are never far from my mind. But the prevailing anime aesthetic is pretty different from my own design sense, so I tried to figure out what a giant robot would look like in my world. Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve loved commercial planes and the idea of these hulking, riveted machines taking flight, so I wanted my robot to have some of that styling, and for the pilots to be wearing functional flight suits and not skin tight fetish gear. I didn’t want the shirt to be too masculine, so the female pilot is taking a smoke break, just a quiet tiny human moment set against this weird sci-fi backdrop.

The Cliff Chiang Signature T-Shirt will be available exclusively at San Diego Comic-Con. If you’re planning on being in San Diego this July, be sure to stop by booth #1221 and catch Cliff with fellow SIUniverse alums Jerry Ma and Bernard Chang! You can also find Cliff in San Francisco this weekend at the Sing Tao Education Expo talking to young Asian American students about colleges and careers. Wonder Woman #1 will be available, along with all the other #1s in the new DCU, this fall at comic shops everywhere.

——-

Keith is the Editor-at-Large of the groundbreaking graphic novel anthology SECRET IDENTITIES and Outreach Director for SIUniverse Media. Visit the official Secret Identities blog to keep up with Keith and the rest of the SI team.

Most people, of course, know you from starring in Better Luck Tomorrow. Can you talk about how you got the part?
It just was a normal audition. I missed the first round of improvisations and then heard about the audition through a fellow actor who had just gone through it. I contacted Justin [Lin, the director] and off the bat was lucky enough to be paired with Karin Anna Cheung who eventually wound up playing Stephanie, the female lead. And we had this great chemistry and I recall thinking to myself, “If this girl isn’t one of Justin’s final choices, he’s nuts.”

Karin and I went in together and knocked it out of the park. We were doing the New Year’s scene where she’s supposed to kiss me, and she just kinda stopped and I whispered, “you’re supposed to kiss me
right now” and she yells, “I’m supposed to WHAT!?” The charm, awkwardness and playfulness that Ben and Stephanie were supposed to have was all there.

Even though Karin and I wound up being his final choices, Justin still kept on casting for three more months to see everyone he could. And it was agonizing hearing all the actors confirmed as the cast. I’ve known all these guys for years, and I’d be like, “Roger Fan as Daric? That’s so perfect!” or “Jason Tobin as Virgil? Of course!” Agh! Why is everybody in this movie except me?!

Three months after the callback, I finally got a call from Justin offering me the lead role of Ben. I was the last actor cast on the film.

That movie marked such a watershed moment in modern Asian American cinema. And it launched the careers of so many talented Asian Americans in Hollywood. How does it feel to be part of something like
that?
Extremely blessed. The cast members and I were pounding the pavement as actors for six years before BLT came along. So we knew how special this project could be if it came together the right way.
We all put our careers and pilot seasons on hold to do this project for deferred payment–which means getting paid $0 until the movie makes money. Which usually means $0. We were willing to do that because we knew even if we did book a TV series, we’d probably be playing the quirky, asexual best friend with an accent. And we had enough of that.

What types of things did you pass up?
I mean one day during shooting, my agents informed me that Woody Allen wanted to fly me out to read for a part in his next film! But there was no way I could leave set–I was pretty much in every scene. My agents wanted me to abandon the BLT. But I had to tell them, “Look, you guys have to trust me, this project is different–it’s special.” Of course, the whole agency was cursing me out under their breaths at the time, but in the end, one of the agents later admitted, “You were right.”

Wait you passed up a chance to audition for Woody Allen?!
Well, my agents were able to logistically make the meeting work. Basically, I left the set on the red eye from California to New York for the meeting and then flew back onto set the next day. I think I was in NYC for about four hours total. It was for the film Hollywood Ending, but I didn’t get the part. Soon-Yi was there to watch me audition for Woody, though!

Even though you didn’t get the part for Woody Allen, I’m assuming you would’ve killed to act for him. Are there any other directors on your wishlist?
Just the usual suspects: Clint Eastwood, Steven Soderberg, JJ Abrams, James Cameron, Zack Synder, David Fincher, Quentin Tarantino, Spike Jonze, Robert Rodriguez, Ang Lee, Jason Reitman, and Christopher Nolan.

Just to name a few? Ha!
Actually, I learned an interesting thing when I was directed by Forrest Whitaker on First Daughter. I was prepared to just absorb all of this guy’s information and obey with whatever he had to say, but when it came time to shoot, I was taken aback when he asked me what I thought about a scene or how my character would deal with a [particular] situation. And it was really nice to be trusted and to give input like that, making it a real collaboration. Sung Kang conveyed a similar notion to me when he was directed by Denzel Washington in Antwone Fisher. So that de-mystification was a really empowering lesson–that although these great directors had a wealth of knowledge that I could learn from, I still couldn’t discount what I, as an actor, could also bring to the table.

Back in 2006, when we first put out a call for story submissions for Secret Identities, you were one of the first people to respond. So how did Jeff, Jerry, and I sucker you into becoming part of the editorial team?
As a comic geek and actor looking to create engaging APA characters, I thought the project was a no-brainer for me. But to this day, I really have no idea how I became part of the editorial team! I basically just approached you guys to submit an idea for a story I had–which wound up being “The Hibakusha” [in the book]. And during one conference call one day, Jeff just tossed me the responsibility of replying to anyone who submitted [stories]. Then that somehow turned into “write all the rejection letters.” Then that became “set up the deadlines for the contributors.” And so it went.

The first time we met in person was in Jeff Yang’s living room in Brooklyn in the fall of 2006 or so. It’s hard to believe that Secret Identities has been a part of our lives for the last three-plus years. What has been the best part of the SI experience for you?
I can’t count the number of best parts, actually. There are so many:
All of us in Jeff’s living room and looking at art samples on Jeff’s big screen TV. Jumping on the daily emails, going back and forth on new stories and artwork even though I was always three hours behind you guys on the east coast. Slowly getting different celebs to contribute and getting awesome pull quotes. Making the animated videos for some of the stories. Selling close to 80 copies at ECAASU, even though we had no actual book out yet. Making friendships with creators and artists that I’ve admired for years. Getting my personal box of books in the mail like George McFly in Back to the Future, while handing a copy to my daughter and telling her, “You can do anything if you put your mind to it!” Biff Tannen walking in to tell me he’s finished with the “second” coat of wax on the car. Wait, that last part didn’t happen.

Were there any not-so-great moments for you?
Really, the only worst part was the last week before we went to press and had to deal with artists and writers dropping out at the last minute and figuring out how to still complete the book. Oh, and that I hardly made any money acting-wise during that period because I was more focused on getting the book done than booking auditions. But just like BLT, if I truly believe in something I will drop everything–much to the dismay of my wife.

Right before the book came out, you wrote an impassioned letter on your blog about the importance of the community to support the book that echoed a similar open letter you wrote before the premiere of BLT. How does your experience putting out Secret Identities compare to the whirlwind surrounding Better Luck Tomorrow back in 2002?
Well with SI, there was a lot less mainstream fanfare. I mean, I got into People Magazine with BLT! But in terms of the importance, I think it’s right up there. It’s something that needed to exist and be available to address images and issues of the APA experience. The response was also very similar–you could literally see folks that have been waiting for something like this for years. And the grassroots marketing rang very familiar. The press, book tour, pull quotes we got were entirely obtained by our doing. As great as The New Press was, they just didn’t have the resources. I’m extremely proud of the work that we all did to pull this book together from scratch and to be actively integral in the sales that led to a third printing and being one of the publisher’s best selling books in 2009.

You were responsible for most of the “motion comics” that we put out ahead of the pub date. A task you pretty much put upon yourself. And I can attest, since I cut the trailer for my story, that it’s a grueling process. You even documented it (and look dogtired while doing it) in a YouTube “making of” video for Gene and Sonny’s story. So, what was the motivation for doing the motion comic trailers? What was the experience like? And would you wanna do that again?
I told someone that SI was my next project, and he said, “Well too bad–a book’s not going to play as easily as BLT did on the college circuit.”

It was a harmless comment and true to some extent but it kinda pissed me off that he was already writing off something I was planning to commit several years of my life automatically as some “failure.” So it made me think about how and why the buzz for BLT got to such a high level on college campuses. I figured a lot of it was due in large part to Evan Leong‘s documentary BLT Genesis, where he followed us while we were making the movie. His 30-minute documentary was mailed to all the campuses before the movie came out and really help create an awareness. And in thinking of how I could create a similar video to do that for Secret Identities, I suddenly realized, “Duh, all these stories are basically storyboards! The work is already done. All I need to do is to add voices.” And at that point in my career, I was beginning to delve into the world of voiceovers and playing around with audio–so all I had to do was to call up my actor friends and invite them to play on my microphone. And the
movies have come in handy to just shoot out via email to schools, play during a book appearance in lieu of a traditional reading, and making the stories quickly digestible in a three-minute trailer.

It was probably where I felt the most comfortable in the process of what I could personally contribute to the project. Because the world of publishing was and is still new to me. I had a lot of catching up to do: learning about verso and recto pages, creating a book map, using Illustrator and Photoshop. Besides my organizational skills and storytelling/dialogue sensibilities–I was pretty much useless with anything that had to do with the publishing aspect, which is why I think our editorial team’s skills complemented each other so well. But when the idea of creating a video [component] to help with the marketing of the book came about–that was within my comfort zone and skill set, and I immediately knew what needed to be done for that.

In fact, it’s a lot easier than shooting a video because I don’t have to worry about shooting the footage, getting the right angles, or the right lightning. The image is the image. All I need to do is work on pacing it to fit the tone of the story, adding the voices and the foley sounds, which I think was the most fun part of the process.

Now that SI is out of the way, you’ve been keeping pretty busy doing non-comic book stuff. For instance, you recently appeared on an episode of NCIS: Los Angeles. What was that experience like? Is there any chance the role could be recurring?
Yes, since I realized that I couldn’t pay the mortgage solely with signed copies of Secret Identities, I decided it was best that I start acting again. With NCIS:LA, the director and I were trying to find a unique and memorable voice and trait to stick out from the existing cast members. We came upon a snarky personality to give him. I hope to get a few more chances in the future to work Ty out.

By the way, this means you have starred alongside both LL Cool J in NCIS and Kool Moe Dee in The New Guy–who famously beefed back in the 80s, which in my mind, makes you the coolest guy I know.
Well, what I think is even cooler is that I got my ass kicked by Vanilla Ice in The New Guy and then I got to know MC Hammer since he was an investor on BLT. In fact, Hammer was even going to be the pastor that married my wife and me. Those two guys used to go head to head back in the day. But just so you know, most guys think I’m cool because I got to make out with Zooey Deschanel at the end of The New Guy.

Ah yes, kissing Zooey. Color me jealous. Speaking of which, she makes a cameo in the BLT “deleted scene” in which you propose to your future wife. Have you seen the YouTube vid of “Jeff and Erin’s wedding announcement?”
I have, and it is very cool. Although it is technically superior in terms of production value… Jeff and Erin weren’t really in any of those films. By editing my proposal video into a movie I was actually in, I think I trump Jeff and Erin. Heck, my wife thought it was really a part of the movie and thought my character was proposing to Stephanie!

Speaking of BLT deleted scenes when are we gonna get a BLT Blu-ray?! And if it ever happens what special features would you like to see on it?
There was so much behind-the-scenes footage that we have. From Roger Ebert defending our film at Sundance to a real time split-screen showing how Justin made 20 extras look like 100 partygoers by simply
reusing them and changing their clothes all in one shot. Maybe even the marriage proposal video. Who knows? We’re only three years away from the 10th anniversary. That might be a good time to put out a Blu-ray. Loads of fun, yes?

You also recently wrapped Hatchet 2–wait, what? Didn’t your character kind of, you know, die last time around? What gives?
Well in [the first] Hatchet, my character mentioned he had a brother, so voila, enter “Justin”–incidentally named after Justin Lin, Shawn’s more competent twin brother who heads into the swamp in search of his brother.

Hatchet 2 is another in a long string of horror movies on your resume. I mean, you’ve been in so many horror flicks, the fansite Pretty/Scary named you “Mr December 2008,” a fact that Jerry and I will never tire of, by the way. Are you a big fan of the genre?
I’m just a fan of movies, be it any genre. As long as there is a story to be told and provides some escapism, I’m game. Being in one genre film tends to get you noticed and appreciated by more creators, producers and writers of the same genre. That’s why I seem to have done more films in that particular area than any other. But I do enjoy genre films because the fantastical circumstances really help give you great aspects to jump off of. Like, I think my character in Hatchet is some of the strongest character stuff I’ve ever done. Doing just a pared down character in a straight drama is at times more difficult because it’s just you. But the greatest challenge, particularly in a genre film, is that a slew of other elements need to come together as well.

What was it like on the set of Hatchet 2? How is the set of a horror flick different, if at all, from other sets you’ve been on?
What sets a horror set apart from a traditional one are the days a character is set to be killed. All of a sudden, the special effects crew eagerly emerges with gusto from their secret lab on set with fake blood, hot glue sprayers to create spiderwebs, rubber prosthetic wounds to attach to faces, severed appendages for the camera to cut to. It’s really the one special time this crew gets to finally see their creations come to fruition in the grand scheme of the storytelling. And everybody cheers when a head explodes the right way. It’s kind of surreal but you definitely get into it when you’re in that environment.

Your stunt double on Hatchet is Steven Ho, who most people nowadays know as “the guy who kicks Conan O’Brien’s ass once in a while”. So I gotta ask, you were Team CoCo all the way, right?
I have been a fan of Conan since he first debuted 16 years ago. His bizarre and absurd humor just made sense to me. But I have to admit, as more people discovered Conan, I kinda watched it less and less. It’s like that indie band that all of a sudden everybody loves after you’ve been following them for years. But I am and always will be on Team CoCo.

You also did some mo-cap work on a top secret video game project recently. What can you reveal about the game and your part in it?
It’ll be Activision’s largest game to date. It’s a reboot of the “True Crime” series simply called, TRUE CRIME. It’s about an undercover cop delving into the underworld of Hong Kong. I play Winston, the boss he befriends. There are a lot of big names in this: Chow Yun-Fat, Jackie Chan, Michelle Yeoh, Kelly Hu, Will Yun Lee, Tom Wilkinson.

What’s it like to act in a skintight bodysuit with little plastic balls sticking out everywhere? (Personally, I think it sounds kinda kinky.) Is it a different kind of acting than what you were used to?

I felt like I was in the Spider-Man costume. Honestly, if I could only do that kind of acting, I would. I mean, I can do the most menacing voice and the animators can come up with an appropriate body for that character. It’s really like what James Cameron said about Avatar–technology opens up new possibilities for actors. I didn’t have to worry about makeup, projecting, opening up to the cameras or staying in my light because a tiny camera and mic was always fixed in front of my face. All there is left to do is act. And if a stunt is required, a guy like Steven Ho would just slip into my suit and the audience would be none the wiser. The downside is there are no residuals with video games. So I can’t really make a living on solely that.

Are there any other projects on the horizon?
I’ll be directing and co-producing an animated web series called “The Kid’s Table,” based on Keiko Agena’s original Mango Pop characters. It’s about a group of four 12-year old girls who have different personalities and are forced to eat at the kids table every week when their parents get together to play poker.

Sounds fun. I’m going to be talking to Keiko about that soon, actually. What other projects are you working on?
I’ve also been writing a comedy script for the past two years that I’m looking to get made. Our friend [and fellow SI partner-in-crime] Jerry is helping me with storyboards right now, and we’re tossing around the possibly of making it into a graphic novel adaptation first. I think that might very well be my next baby that I drop everything for… that is unless we get rolling on SI Volume II.

Recently, you finally decided to join the rest of the world and launched your own Twitter account. What prompted that decision? I seem to recall you being reluctant to join before.
Honestly, it was purely for the sake of convenience during a website update. I only update every six months or so, and I was simply planning ahead. I wanted my webmaster to put up icon links for my Facebook and MySpace pages–and then I figured, “What the hell, might as well get this Twitter thing up there and get it out of the way.”

I am still leery if the 14 followers I have really care what I am doing on a day-to-day basis. But it is pretty cool that there is a character count limit that forces you to pare it down to the essentials. Because, as you can see from my answers, I can go on for awhile. This entire interview would probably be about 85 Twitter posts.
—-

Actually, I did the math, and this interview would probably take up 25 tweets. Anyway, True Crime drops in September 2010, and Hatchet 2 starts slaying moviegoers the next month in October, just in time for Halloween.


Keith is the Editor-at-Large of the groundbreaking graphic novel anthology SECRET IDENTITIES and Outreach Director for SIUniverse Media. Visit the official Secret Identities blog to keep up with Keith and the rest of the SI team

Sheesh… I guess it was about, like, four years ago at the Wizard World Philadelphia Con? At the time I was pursuing my dream of being a comic artist. So I was self publishing my book BURN, and I had been exhibiting at comic conventions in Artist’s Alley with my friend Ken Knudtsen, who is the creator/artist of My Monkey’s Name is Jennifer. And over in Artist’s Alley, I believe you initially approached me to purchase a Bruce Lee t-shirt. From there, we started a conversation about doing an Asian American Superhero Comic together. And honestly, in Artist’s Alley, I gotta believe most artists are approached all the time with a “great idea” from tons of people. When I first heard your “pitch,” I just figured you were another one of those guys. Sorry.

No offense taken. It’s all good.
But in our conversation, once you mentioned Jeff Yang, I knew this project was legit. Luckily for me, you were more than just “another guy with a great idea,” and that’s when we really grabbed this thing by the horns and made this book come together.

What has been the best part about being a part of Secret Identities?
God, there are so many things. The obvious answer is how lucky I’ve been to work with all the people involved on the book. I mean, just look at the list of names; it’s really amazing. But for me, the true “best part” was probably when it really hit me on how important and necessary this book was. And that was back in February at Rutgers where all four of us editors–you, me, Jeff and Parry Shen–gave our first “Build a Hero” workshop and keynote speech at ECAASU. I mean, when we were on stage speaking in front of what looked like a thousand people… it was really moving for me. The impact of the book really hit me right then and there.

ECAASU was definitely a highlight. That said, what’s been the biggest drawback for you?
The biggest drawback? I lost a lot of sleep when getting the book ready for print, and I have to read a lot more emails than I’m used to, but there really hasn’t been a drawback at all. As an indie comic creator, I’m constantly wondering if the work I do is worth it. If people even notice it. With Secret Identities, there are no such thoughts, and any “drawback” is totally worth it.

Before Secret Identities, you had gotten away from comics for a while and was pretty focused on fashion and design. Do you have a preference for one type of art over the other?
I’ve had a strange route to where I am today. I’ve always wanted to draw comics. I love comics. I just love the medium. I believe that comic artists are the most underrated artists ever. But comics are also one of the most competitive industries to break into. Since I was doing my own books, I had to figure out ways to make a living so that I could afford to continue doing comics. So I figured I would take all the things that have inspired my artwork and apply them to one of my other interests like fashion.

Many people don’t know this, but while I was going to the School of Visual Arts to study illustration and comics, I was also taking night classes at FIT for fashion design. Anyway, I found doing t-shirt designs refreshing. It was quick and satisfying. I could sit at my art table and computer for one night and make a design. And then I was done. Just like that. It was amazing to me. I had a finished product in only one night’s worth of work. Whereas with a comic, it took me, like, three months to finish one book. So it isn’t that I prefer one over the other. I owe my imagination to comics, and I think having an interest in comics has made me a better artist and designer in general.

Who are some of your comic art influences? What other influences inform your fashion/t-shirt design?
I have a pretty eclectic group of artists and designers that I sweat. In no particular order: Walter Simonson, Ken Knudtsen, DHKY.com, Staple Design, NIKE, Travis Charest, Jim Lee, The Shaw Brothers, Bruce Lee, Amano, Haruhiko Mikimoto, Alphonse Mucha, Sapporo Beer, Daiginjo Grade Sake, Johnnie Walker Blue, Adam Hughes, Larry Hama, Greg LaRocque, Cliff Chiang, Bernard Chang, Shu Qi, Moebius, Wendy and Richard Pini, Kelly Hu, and of course New York City.

Yeah, you’re definitely not shy about being a native New Yorker and your love for the city. From your World Series tribute tee to that old design of John Starks “dunking”–that I, as a die-hard Bulls fan, must remind you wasn’t all that impressive. Anyway, how does New York inform your art, if at all?
[Laughs] FIRST of all, the DUNK was amazing. I actually had a chance to have lunch with John Starks this year where I was able to give him [a shirt] and have him sign one for myself. But New York is seriously an amazing city. I do some traveling–and I love seeing other cities–but every time I leave, I just can’t wait to get back to New York. It has been my biggest influence. Everything from the nightlife to the people to just the city streets themselves. There is a story in every crack of New York.

What was the original inspiration for creating Epic Proportions?
Well, I remember sitting on the couch with my older brother watching Enter the Dragon together. And when Han, the actor Shih Kien, who passed away earlier this year in June, rest in peace brother, said the line,”this will truly be a tournament of epic proportions,” that is when my brother stopped the DVD, looked at me and said, “THAT is what we’re calling ourselves.”

How’d you get into designing t-shirts?
Well, like I’ve said before, comics can be tough. So for a long time, I had to figure out how I was going to make a living while doing something creative. Another thing most people don’t know about me is that I
actually worked at Morgan Stanley right out of college. I basically did all this crap work for them. But it paid really well. After four and a half years of that, I just quit and decided to self-publish my own comics. When I realized that I was going to lose all that Morgan Stanley money I had saved up, I had to get a new job. And I actually got a job designing socks. Uggghhh… that sucked. But I quickly started hopping from design job to design job. And along the way, I picked up the skills and knowledge to start my own line of tees. And it really has been the perfect medium for me as it allows me to apply all sorts of interests I have.

Do you have a favorite tee in particular?
I’d probably have to go with my “86″ shirt, which is a Mets tribute shirt. And it happens to be the very first
design I ever did for myself.

Do you have any plans or ambitions to go into other types of design work? For instance, any interest in designing kicks or vinyl?
Right now, my schedule is pretty full. But I am always open to doing new types of work. I mean… I LOVE LOVE LOVE sneakers and toys. But currently, I’m hoping to help get Secret Identities Vol. 2 completed. And I’m actually helping out our mutual pal and editor Parry Shen with a project of his. This is probably something you’ll have to ask him about though.

You have a pretty big following at places like SDCC and NYCC. How’d you get into the comic convention scene? How much has it changed for you since you first started out?
Oh boy. I’ve been going to comic conventions for quite some time now. I mean… we met at a comic convention! [Laughs.] But I first started off by exhibiting in Artists Alley. And I remember…the very first con I had gone to was the National in NYC. I split a six-foot table with Ken Knudtsen and had no idea what to expect. We just plopped our comics on top of the table and had two bottles of booze under the table. [Laughs] Ya know, just to help us get through the day. And then, my older brother’s girlfriend at the time wanted to come see what the hell I was doing there as she wanted to see why I had quit my job at Morgan Stanley for. And she friggin’ brought my mother with her! I was so embarrassed. My mom was standing in front of our table telling everyone to look at her son’s very first comic. And she was taking pictures of me and Ken. At the end of that day, though, thanks to my Mom, I sold the most comics ever in one day. So…thanks Mom. I love you for being there for me when it all started. So I tell you this because…I HAD to have my Mom see what this has all become nowadays. As she really doesn’t know how much this has grown until very recently. But at the San Diego Comic Con, like, three years ago, my mother was there with me again. I brought her in on a Saturday, which is like a Zoo in there. But she thought it was weird that I wanted her to come all the way to San Diego to see my six-foot table with Ken! [Laughs] So she comes with my grandmother and my cousins and see that now I have this humble little booth with people sometimes lining up to see me. [Laughs] It was great. She was so happy for me. And I was so happy to show her I wasn’t wasting all of my time. But you know as well as I do that this past year. I mean, wow. I’ve had the honor of doing a Walter Simonson t-shirt. He was even at my booth signing autographs.

I’ve recently had Geoff Darrow send me artwork for the second shirt in my new Signature Series Line, which will be a line of shirts illustrated by who I believe to be the “elite” in our industry. And of course, we’ve had Secret Identities at the booth which brought Jeff, Parry, you, Cliff Chiang, Bernard Chang, Kelly Hu, Keiko Agena, Gene Yang, Sonny Liew and even Larry Hama to the Epic booth! It’s really been a long road, and one that made me want to quit many times. But now, I look forward to everything that is ahead.

Recently, you relaunched “Space Ranger” as a webcomic. How has that been going? Can you talk about the story and how you and your brother came up with it?
I love it. This book first came out years ago. Every character in the book–and I mean every character–is based off of someone I know. Even the background characters just walking on the streets. Which is what makes it so personal to my younger brother Jim (he writes it) and myself. But really, we just wanted to do this webcomic as a chance to finish up what we started. Basically, all of our comics are about these two characters Troy and Meiling. They’re about destiny and fate and how everyone in this world is destined to be with someone else. And that you might not meet them in this lifetime, but you will in another. So we took the same two characters and started them off in old school China with The Eighth Dragon. Then, we took them to present time Chinatown in BURN. Then, we took them through a sci-fi background in The Movement. And finally, we end it all in the cute futuristic galaxy of “Space Ranger.” In every story we tell, Troy and Meiling never get together. In our last book, we allowed them to finally find peace with each other. Since we never had a chance to finish that story, we decided to do this webcomic as our outlet to finish the story we’ve always wanted to tell.

Is there a difference doing webcomics vs. traditional comics?
At first, I thought doing a webcomic was going to be fun and easy. And I have quickly realized that it is a ton of work. But the main difference is in the “canvas.” The layout of each comic page is much
different from the webcomic strip. And of course, the pacing of the webcomic is much quicker than that of an actual comic as you just don’t have the time to dilly dally around with a webcomic.

Finally, what is it about the “Jerry Ma charm” that makes you irresistible to the ladies?
Ha! I don’t know how much “charm” I have as I’m still single. But I know she’s out there waiting for me. Just like in our storyline. I just gotta go find her.

Keith is the Editor-at-Large of the groundbreaking graphic novel anthology SECRET IDENTITIES and Outreach Director for SIUniverse Media. Visit the official Secret Identities blog to keep up with Keith and the rest of the SI team

Granted, this isn’t the most original idea. In fact, the inspiration came from an old website (I mean, it’s so old, it’s still hosted on geocities!) by a guy named Paul Chen who chronicled the web’s best Asian action figures. Unfortunately, homeboy’s site hasn’t been updated in a decade, and action figures have gotten way better (and more Asian American, natch!) in the years since.

So rather than just listing each and every action figure of an Asian character that’s sitting at your local Toys ‘R’ Us, I gave myself some criteria. First off, either the character or the actor portraying that character immortalized in plastic has to be Asian American. That means Ken Watanabe as Asian R’as Al Ghul from Hasbro’s Batman Begins or McFarlane Toys’ Yao Ming don’t count. Sorry guys.

The other criteria I look for in an action figure are sculpting, likeness accuracy, and points of articulation.

So without further ado, let’s start with #5, which is actually a tie!

#5. Sulu from Diamond Select Toys/Sulu from Playmates

How could we talk about Asian American action figures without talking about the granddaddy of Asian American sci-fi: Mr. Sulu? There have been several Sulu action figures from various companies over the years, but for the sake of this blog post, I’ll stick with this 6-inch fig from DST’s Star Trek Classics line. When it comes to Trek action figures, I think Diamond and Art Asylum are unrivaled. I love the scale and detail in all their figures, and the sculpt on this Sulu in his classic uni is the spitting image of George Takei!

Back in the late ’80s/early ’90s, my brother and I used to collect the 4-inch Next Generation figures from Playmates. The detail and articulation on those toys weren’t the greatest (which is likely the case for most toys of that period), but there is definitely a sense of nostalgia that kicks in when thinking back to those figures. So I was (sort of) excited to learn Playmates was returning to the world of Star Trek to do figs for the reboot that came out last May. And to be honest, these weren’t the greatest toys. The 3 3/4-inchers left a lot to be desired and the detail on the 6-inch scale was not as impressive as their DST analogs. Still, we were treated to our very first John Cho action figure. Now, if only they’d make action figures for the rest of the Better Luck Tomorrow crew and my collection will be complete!

#4. Athena and Boomer 2-Pack from Diamond Select Toys

Wow, another DST figure? Trust me, this has nothing to do with the fact that I used to work at Diamond! Anyway, I’m putting Boomer and Athena here even though I don’t watch Battlestar Galactica. What’s that? How can I make that claim and still be allowed on a site like PopCultureShock without having my geek credit card cut up into a million pieces? And where do I get off recommending an action figure of a character from a show I don’t even watch? Good questions, all. First off, I’ve always meant to watch BSG, but just never got around to it. So it isn’t like I’ve purposefully shied away from it like I did with, say, everything in the Whedonverse (blasphemy!) As for the second question: my justification for putting this Grace Park 2-pack on my list is, well, because it’s a Grace Park action figure. Duh! Plus, there are two of them.

#3. Data from Mezco Toys/Short Round from Hasbro

That’s right. Number 3 on my list is Jonathan Ke Quan, baby! Now, while it could be argued that his two most iconic portrayals–Short Round from Temple of Doom and Data from Goonies –are essentially Long Duk Dong for the tweens of the ’80s generation, I have to disagree. First off, Data was the man in The Goonies. And secondly, Short Round is the heart and soul of Temple and is the best sidekick Indy’s ever had. That’s right, Shia! I said it.

Anyway, even though Quan hasn’t worked in several years, the last couple have been good for him, at least from an action figure point of view. First off, Mezco released a series of Goonies figures and didn’t skimp on the accessories! I mean, he comes with the Pinchers of Peril for chrissakes! As for Short Round, I’ve been wanting 3 3/4 scale Indy figures since I was a little kid (hell, I actually remember Kenner’s short-lived Raiders figures) for no other reason than to have Indy and Han Solo standing next to each other on my desk. So, when they expanded the line that came out in ’08 to include Short Round, I was so there. But, what was even cooler was the Short Round Mighty Mugg that was exclusive to Entertainment Earth. Seriously. How dope is this?

#2. Tunnel Rat (1987) from Hasbro

I think it’s safe to say G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero was the be-all-end-all action figure/comic/cartoon franchise of my childhood. I mean, I loved He-Man and the Super Powers and the Real Ghostbusters and Thundercats… Okay, I loved every toyline in the ’80s, but there was something special about Joe vs. Cobra (so the fact that I’ve gotten to know and hang out with Larry Hama in the last few years is, like, mind-blowing). I knew that a Joe had to figure on this list somehow. I could have gone with easy ones like Storm Shadow or Quick Kick. And I was this close to putting Snake Eyes here. But in the end, I had to go with Chinese-Trinidadian Tunnel Rat. And not the “Resolute” one that came out this year. I’m talking old school. The one with the “Win a Fridge Action Figure” sticker on the card! Not only was Tunnel Rat’s likeness based on Hama himself (though the bio on the filecard, like most of the one’s in the collection, was based on a friend of Larry’s), but the dude’s got the coolest specialty: explosives! Not the resident martial artist or ninja. Nicky Lee was the dude who blew sh*t up! And you don’t get more Asian American than that.

#1. Bruce Lee series from Enterbay

Tops on the list have to go to the coolest sixth-scale action figures I’ve ever seen. And ironically, my favorite Asian American action figure is one I don’t (and will probably never) own: Enterbay’s Bruce Lee series of figures. Unless, you had $200-$300 you wanted to give me, that is. Still, I’ve seen these bad boys up close and personal, and they are worth every dollar that I don’t have to spare.

Enterbay has done several Bruce Lee figures now. There are two from Enter the Dragon, one from Game of Death, one from Way of the Dragon, and a Kato from Green Hornet. But my personal favorite is the one modeled on Bruce as Chen Zhen from Fist of Fury.

Not only are these the best, most intricate sixth-scale bodies, like most 12-inch figures, each one comes with a plethora of accessories and outfits. To wit, the FoF Bruce comes with two different head sculpts and three(!) different hair sculpts (seriously), two different tailored, cloth outfits, five sets of hands, a pair of nunchucks, a premium wooden diorama, and the infamous “Sick Man of Asia” wooden sign that Bruce so famously cracks in two!

And the best part? Enterbay’s exclusive 360 Eyeball system, which allows you to pose his eyes! I know I’m a sucker for articulation, but that’s just crazy!

Keith is the Editor-at-Large of the groundbreaking graphic novel anthology SECRET IDENTITIES and Outreach Director for SIUniverse Media. Visit the official Secret Identities blog to keep up with Keith and the rest of the SI team

LARRY HAMA, CLIFF CHIANG, & CHRISTINE NORRIE TO HEADLINE SPECIAL “SECRET IDENTITIES” EVENT AT NYC’S MIDTOWN COMICS ON MAY 23!

May 12, 2009 – SIUniverse Media and Midtown Comics in New York City are proud to present a special book signing event featuring the editors and contributors of the groundbreaking SECRET IDENTITIES: The Asian American Superhero Anthology at the Midtown Comics Time Square location on Saturday, May 23 at 3:00pm.

Joining Secret Identities Editor-at-Large KEITH CHOW, Art Director JERRY MA, and Senior Artist JEF CASTRO are three of the biggest names in the comic book industry:

- LARRY HAMA: The legendary writer/artist of Wolverine, Bucky O’Hare and Batman and creator of the G.I. Joe universe is currently writing G.I. Joe: Origins for IDW Publishing. In Secret Identities, Hama is the subject of Tak Toyoshima’s interview piece “S.A.M. Meets Larry Hama” and contributed a one-page teaser for a story called “Her.”

- CLIFF CHIANG: Hailed for his fluid and confident storytelling and sweeping line work and nuanced style, Chiang has worked as an artist on several high-profile projects including Batman, Human Target, Green Arrow & Black Canary, and Grendel: Red, White, and Black. He is currently working on the Neil Young graphic novel Greendale for DC/Vertigo. In Secret Identities, Chiang illustrated “Jia,” a character concept by X-Men 2 actress Kelly Hu.

- CHRISTINE NORRIE: Dubbed a natural storyteller by Publisher?s Weekly, Norrie has earned two Eisner nominations, a Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Nomination, and a 9th Panel and New York City Comic Book Museum Award. Her most noted works include her original graphic novel Cheat, the Oni Press series Hopeless Savages, the Scholastic/Graphix teen drama Breaking Up, and DC Comics? Green Arrow/Black Canary Wedding Special. Along with writer John Kuramoto, Norrie contributed the story “David Kim” to Secret Identities.