Chronicles of the Immortal Swordsmen: Interview with Pop Mhan

We have been teasing you guys with Pop Mhan's dynamic art for ages now, and now that our launch is so close, we're here to interview him as part of the creative team that made it all happen! Pop has done some amazing work at Marvel, Darkhorse, and DC Comics, and did all of the pencil and ink artwork for our upcoming issue of Chronicles of the Immortal Swordsmen.

When did you first know you wanted to be an artist?

Pop Mhan: I realized I wanted to be an artist after coming across Jim Lee's X-men #4.

How did you first hone your artistic skills?

Pop Mhan: I was apprenticed first with Hoang Nguyen for a bit, and then with Jim Lee at WildStorm Productions.

What’s your favorite music to listen to while you work?

Pop Mhan: I like to listen to a lot of audiobooks when I draw, but when I get bored of those, I defer to the Emo-y punk, scream-core or whatever bad music from the 90's and early 2000's.

What was the last video game you played?

Pop Mhan: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. I'm only able to play on my Nintendo Switch nowadays, it’s so great to pick up and put down!

If you could play Phil’s VR game in CIS, what class would you play?

Pop Mhan: I would play the NPC that gets slaughtered over and over again. Spawn, get blasted, repeat.

Did you know about wuxia before you worked on CIS? If so, what was your favorite book/movie?

Pop Mhan: I'm a HUGE fan of wuxia! I grew up watching old Chinese/Taiwanese Condor Heroes TV serials dubbed in Thai. My whole family would watch that all the time on VHS.

In wuxia stories, legendary weapons are often given names. What tool would you consider to be your favorite instrument/legendary weapon of creation, and what name would you give it (and why)?

Pop Mhan: The Heavenly Dragon Saber! That or the Beggar's staff (dog smacking stick) Classics, those.

If you could go back in time, what positive advice do you wish you could give yourself when you were first starting out?

Pop Mhan: Stick with it, straighten up and stop getting distracted!