Comic Artist Sean Chen Finds Success Embracing the Unexpected in Debut Novel
Sean Chen, best known as a comic book artist, has released his frist novel, a project born from an unconventional starting point-a single image. Chen detailed his experience in a recent interview with The Creative Autonomous, revealing his initial skepticism about building a story from purely visual inspiration. He initially believed stories should originate with theme and philosophical questions, followed by character and world-building. However, a challenge from a collaborator, Carl, to develop a narrative from an image proved transformative.
“I used to think that was a very bad way to come up with a story,” Chen explained, referring to the in media res approach of starting with a snapshot of an ongoing situation. “It really begs the question: what led up to this [moment] in general?”
Despite his reservations, the process led to a compelling narrative, which Chen attributes to the power of execution. “In writing, the ideas can come from anywhere-as the germ or the beginning of the idea-but it’s really what you do with it,” he said. He aimed to elevate familiar science fiction and superhero tropes, believing ”that same story in the hands of a very capable writer can make it very compelling and turn it into something wholly different.”
Chen, acknowledging his background as an artist venturing into writing, emphasized his dedication to the craft. “I know when there’s an artist that becomes a writer, there’s a lot of hesitation there because it’s really not our wheelhouse,” he stated, but added he prepared through decades of master classes. Early reader feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with many finding the story “unputdownable”-“That’s really the highest compliment you can get as a writer.”
Chen described the project as a “one shot” and expressed his commitment to quality, stating he “tried my hardest on the writing…and really put my all into the best drawing of my career.”
Sean Chen’s Recommendations:
* Comics by Pepe Larraz (https://www.instagram.com/pepelarraz/?hl=en)
* A24 films
* Comics by Mark Millar (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Millar)
* Alien Earth
* The Great Gatsby (novel)
