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MINUTES WITH: JOYCE CHIN
 Joyce
Chin has been working in comics from the last several years,
on such titles as Vampirella, Xena, Guy Gardener: Warrior and
with a variety of Publishers. Currently, in conjunction with
Top Cow Productions and Dynamite Entertainment, Chic is illustrating
THE cross-over event of 2005: Top Cow vs. The "Dynamite" Monsters.
She took some time away from the drawing
table, her husband Art Adams, and her dogs to answer a few
of our questions.
DF:
First, can we get a little history from you?
JOYCE CHIN: The Byzantine Empire was founded when the
capital of the Roman Empire was transferred from Rome to Constantinople
in 324. The civilization existed in the eastern Mediterranean
area until the fifteenth century.
DF:
Um, that's not exactly what we meant, but it's pretty funny,
so we'll leave it in.
DF:
You have been working in comics for a long time, where was
your start? JOYCE CHIN: I've been drawing men and women
in really tight outfits beating each other up in the name
of Justice and the American way off and on since the mid '90S.
I've mainly been wading around in the mainstream superhero
and horror end of the comic book genre pool, and I don't think
I've managed more than a toe dip into independent comics,
though I find a lot of indie comics really interesting. I
spent all my allowance money as a kid on X-Men, Spider-Man,
Superman, Daredevil, etc. So I guess my career choices have
followed my childhood reading habits... Scary
I started
out at DC Comics working on Guy Gardener Warrior for Eddie
Berganza, which was a total hoot. I haven't gotten to work
on a book that just featured a big badass boy throwing temper
tantrums in space since working on those Guy Gardener books.
Phil Jimenez wrote the second issue of Guy I worked on, and
he was a gem, and a truly great fella too.
Most
of my body of work has been on special projects, annuals,
and miniseries , I've taken a year or two off here and there
to do other things, but I always seem to keep jumping back
in to comics.
DF:
What work are most proud of?
JOYCE CHIN: I'm probably most happy with my work with
Alan Moore on a Cobweb story for Tomorrow Tales, Gail Simone
on this little Vampirella, Magdelena,and Witchblade story
for Dynamic Forces, my collaboration with Chris and Tom on
this Image one shot called Night Tribes and a couple of projects
I did with Dan Brereton, one was a Superman miniseries , the
other was a short story in his Nocturnals universe. Xena was
a blast to work on too. And I really like the stuff I'm doing
right now on Monster War.
I can't
really pick a favorite. Not unless one of these writers pays
up the moola for the PR.
DF:
Describe your involvement with Monster War and what you are
bringing to the table.
JOYCE CHIN: I'm drawing Monster War, and I've snookered
Chris and Tom into writing me a kick-ass tale of "dynamite"
monsters gone bad and the superheroes in small outfits that
are here to stop 'em. I bring to the table some really great
chocolate chip peanut butter cookies and a smile.
DF:
What's next for you after Monster War?
JOYCE CHIN: I was toying with the idea of working on
my own project. Either that or pretty much anything with writers
I love to work with.
DF:
Any characters out there you'd love a crack at?
JOYCE CHIN: X-Men! I was obsessed with the X-Men as
a kid. Other than that, I would love to work on more sword
and sorcery stuff with a magical character, like Doc Strange,
or Magik from the old New Mutants run, something along those
lines. I got to draw some sword and sorcery when I was working
on Xena, but I don't think it's out of my system yet, and
there doesn't appear to be a vaccine available.
DF:
Any creations of your own on the horizon?
JOYCE CHIN: Maybe. What's it to ya?
DF:
What's your dream assignment at DC? Marvel? JOYCE CHIN:
At DC I'd love to work on something with Gail Simone again.
She is a RIOT to work with! At Marvel I would love to have
a crack at some of the X characters.
DF:
Do you and [Husband] Art [Adams] collaborate artistically
on any projects? Would you?
JOYCE CHIN: We would, and we have! We've worked on
a Xena cover, a Buffy cover, a Superman cover, and a couple
of other things here and there together. Usually I draw them,
and he inks them. He inked over me on a short Nocturnals story
once that featured a big Gorilla. I thought that all worked
out pretty well.
DF:
Who are your inspirations as an artist, both outside and inside
the comics business?
JOYCE CHIN: I dunno if all my influences are actually
apparent in my work, but I would have to say that my main
inspirations are my main man Arthur Adams, Jim Lee, Alphonse
Mucha, Joseph Leyendecker, Paolo Serpieri, Frank Cho, and
Adam Hughes. I apologize to anyone that I've left off this
list.
DF:
What are you reading these days?
JOYCE CHIN: Alot of stuff on genetics on the web (I'm
a hobby scientist) and the script for the project I'm working
on. I have a pile of books I'll get to after that. I love
Amazon.
DF:
Listening to?
JOYCE CHIN: Mezzanine by Massive Attack, lots of Louis
Armstrong, and my dogs chewing on their toys.
DF:
Watching?
JOYCE CHIN: Dead like Me, Carnival, Lost, Battlestar
Galactica, lots of DVD commentaries, a few forensic shows,
and my dogs chewing on their toys.
Check
out DF's complete selection of Joyce's comics, right here!
Look for another interview with YOUR favorite
creator later this week! |
