Meet Hanna Cho | Story Artist & Comics Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hanna Cho and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hanna, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I loved drawing and writing stories since I was young!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

As a student trying to develop my own style and thrive as a solo artist, I never considered myself talented or unique. There were so many friends who were so talented with styles and skill sets. However, I believe my strength lies in my appreciation for various art forms, including comics to movies, books, etc. I’m a naturally curious person, and it has made me deeply observe people and the world around me.

This aspect is reflected in my drawings. Although my art may not always be dynamic or colorful, they are charming and appealing. I focus on capturing the movements of human beings while showing their personalities, flaws, and emotions. With all that I really enjoy playing with lines. I experiment with different types of lines in my drawings, whether they are thick, thin, or rough and uneven. It gives me pure joy and the power to keep focusing on what I really love when it is tempting to follow popular styles.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I think if my friend is visiting for the first time, I’d take them to Santa Monica or Culver City! There are so many great places, but I think the neighborhoods near the beach are so beautiful and very walkable. I’d take them to great brunch places and feed them savory crepes.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Wow, that’s a great question. Honestly, there are so many people and artworks that have influenced me throughout my journey. I attended an art high school where I took classes on drawing comics. The comics class teacher, Son Gi Yeong, was a tremendous help in getting me started with my comics during high school. Although I later switched to Animation as my major in college, the knowledge I gained from high school had the most significant impact on me.

First of all, I drew immense inspiration from comic artists because it was the first art form that I loved and it made me dream of becoming a comics artist. Comics artists like Taiyo Matsumoto, Urasawa Naoki, and many others were a huge inspiration to me. I’m also someone who delves into various art forms, including classic books, movies, and paintings. Authors like Jane Austen, Natsume Soseki, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Hermann Hesse have all left a profound impact on me. As for movies, I draw most of my inspiration from Asian cinema, particularly directors like Edward Yang, Lee Chang-dong, Park Chan-wook, and Ozu Yasujirō.

Apart from the artworks that have inspired me, I received a great deal of support from the team behind “The Mitchells vs. The Machines,” which was the first project I worked on as a story artist. I started working on this project right after graduating from college. Director Mike Rianda, Jeff Rowe, Head of Story Guillermo Martinez, and all the other senior artists and managers played a crucial role in helping me settle into my role as a story artist and continue my work in the industry.

Instagram: hannahannacho

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/me?trk=p_mwlite_wvmp-secondary_nav