Shadow Hero Comics

#1, 2017
Gene Yuen Yang, writer
Sonny Lieu, artist
Janice Chiang, letterer
Panda Restaurant Group, publisher

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(Next post on Wednesday: Empress of China Restaurant)

Gene Luen Yang’s “American Born Chinese” Mini-Comic Books from 2001 to 2005

Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese (ABC) began as a series of square-format (5.5 by 5.5 inches) mini-comic books. The Motherless One was published in June 2001 (February 2005 second printing). This issue was a prologue to ABC.

It was followed by ABC Book 1 (January 2003), Book 2.1 (September 2003), Book 2.2 (July 2004; second printing July 2005), Book 3.1 (June 2005) and Book 3.2 (June 2005). The back matter of Book 3.2 mentioned the script for the last chapter was being finalized. Completion was projected for the end of Summer 2005. Global Hobo distributed ABC. 

Below are the cover and first page of each issue.

The mini-comic books were collected and published by First Second Books in September 2006. 

Further Reading

First Second, Gene Yang, Origins of ABC 

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The Art of Gene Luen Yang

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November 10, 2015 – December 23, 2015
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Gene Yang at the National Book Festival

The Washington Post
September 1, 2014

“Read This: Gene Luen Yang’s rousing diversity speech at the 2014 National Book Festival gala”

The Green Turtle in China

On July 18, 2014, I had a morning appointment at the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, the People’s Government of Guangzhou Municipality. With me were my son, Aaron, and Professor Peng Changxin, of South China University of Technology, who drove us to the office.

I brought a suitcase full of books, periodicals, Playbills, comic books, menus, matchcovers, a watercolor painting and a hole puncher; all of them related to the Chinese in the United States. These items were donated for the Guangzhou Overseas Chinese Museum, which is under construction.

I presented the items to Deputy Director Feng Guang Jun and other officers. Included were copies of Blazing Comics, numbers three and four, and The Shadow Hero by Gene Luen Yang and Sonny Liew. I explained to Feng that the comics books featured a superhero, the Green Turtle, created by Chu Fook Hing, in the mid-1940s. I told him that a new story had been published about the Green Turtle by Yang and Liew. (I received an advanced copy of The Shadow Hero from Yang’s publisher, First Second Books.) Chu’s watercolor painting was donated, too.

Feng Guang Jun (left) and Alex Jay (right).
Photo by Professor Peng Changxin

As you may know, all of the Green Turtle stories took place in China. With my donation of Blazing Comics and The Shadow Hero, the Green Turtle really is in China. It’s up to the museum curator to decide how to use Chu’s comics and watercolor, along with Yang and Liew’s graphic novel.

Related post: Gene Yang at the National Book Festival.

(Next post on Friday: Bruce Lee in Hong Kong and Guangzhou)

Gene Luen Yang on NPR

Hansi Lo Wang, a National Public Radio (NPR) reporter, has produced a story on Gene Luen Yang and his new book, The Shadow Hero. Wang also interviewed me about Chu F. Hing. His report will air near the book’s publication date which is July 15. So stay tuned to your local NPR station for details or check the NRP website.

Update: Link to NPR article

(Next post of Friday: James Wong Howe, International Photographer)

The Shadow Hero

Gene Luen Yang & Sonny Liew

First Second, 2014

Coming in July

Related post: Gene Yang at the National Book Festival

.(Next post: Dong Kingman in American Artist, 1943)