VALIANT SPOTLIGHT
SEAN SKETCH
CHEN BOOK
   
    Sean Chen began his pencilling career at Valiant with the enthusiastically received Rai and the Future Force #9. His clean, stylish art and his grasp of storytelling brought him acclaim that continued when Sean moved from Rai to Harbinger. Now he's tackling yet another Valiant character, bringing a dynamic new style to the pages of Bloodshot.
 
    Sean, how were you first "discovered" in the comics business?
   
    I visited the San Diego Comic Book Convention back in '92, I believe, and I showed my portfolio to Barry Windsor-Smith. I guess he saw something he liked because he took me in right there. My first book was Rai and the Future Force #9.
   
    Who were your influences when you were growing up?
   
    I try to look at everybody's stuff, but my two main influences are Barry Windsor-Smith and David Mazzucchelli - both of whom I was lucky enough to work with closely: Barry because of Valiant, and Mazzucchelli when I met him at a convention and we began corresponding, working on projects for each other.
   
    How do you like to work, in terms of your own pencilling?
   
    I want to hold myself to one page a day because, first of all, I'm just not that fast; but more importantly, because I want each page to look as good as it can.
   
    You do a lot of your pencilling on Knob Row, Valiant's in-house studio. How do you like working there, as opposed to working at home?
   
    Actually, I like it. I mean, I'm there every day, mostly for inspiration because everyone around me is doing the same thing. It's easy to get caught up in all of that creative energy. Plus it's nice to be at the hub where all the buzz is. It keeps things exciting!
   
    You have a new book to your name - Bloodshot. How do you like working on that?
   
    It's very cool because I get a chance to change my style - to be a little more dynamic. I've always wanted to do more exciting, action-oriented stuff. This warrants different artwork than Harbinger. Working closely with Bob Layton has helped me to develop that more dynamic flair. It's exciting; it has a very different character from what I'm used to.
   
    How do you like working with Bloodshot writer Kevin VanHook?
   
    It's been great. I've always wanted to work with him. I think he has a clear vision of what he wants to see. He encourages me a lot, too. I get a lot of positive feedback from him. He really knows comics, and that's clear in his storytelling.