Ming Chen

Cliff Ming-Si Chen, better known as Ming Chen, is an American actor, podcaster, reality television personality, and webmaster associated with Kevin Smith.[2][3] He co-hosts the I Sell Comics! podcast with Mike Zapcic and also starred in the AMC reality series Comic Book Men from 2012-2018.[4]

Ming Chen
Born
Cliff Ming-Si Chen[1]

(1974-08-01) August 1, 1974[1]
Euclid, Ohio, U.S[1]
NationalityAmerican[2]
Alma materUniversity of Michigan
OccupationActor, podcaster, reality television personality, webmaster
Years active1999-present

Early life

Ming Chen was born in Ohio to parents born in China, but raised in Taiwan. The family frequently moved due his father being an upstart engineer, but spent significant time in Jackson, Michigan and Ann Arbor, Michigan.[2][5] Chen attended the University of Michigan (class of 1996), graduated with a degree in communications, and he at one point also worked at a video shop.[3][5][6]

Chen, at middle left, with the cast of Comic Book Men.

Career

Ming Chen became involved with Kevin Smith after making a fansite dedicated to the movie Clerks in 1996.[3][7] Smith asked Chen to build the View Askew Productions website.[3] Chen served as an extra in the movie Dogma.[2] After working around the Washington, D.C. area, and LivePlanet for two years, he joined Kevin Smith's company in 2002.[2][3] Chen became the full-time webmaster of View Askew after moving to New Jersey.[3] One of the oddest requests from Kevin Smith has been to drive eight hours and deliver a copy of Red State to a critic from the Los Angeles Times in Maine.[2][8]

Chen has participated in several podcasts for SModcast Internet Radio including Tell 'Em Steve-Dave!, Puck Nuts, and co-hosts I Sell Comics! with Mike Zapcic.[4] In 2012 he began starring with co-workers from Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash including Kevin Smith, Walt Flanagan, Mike Zapcic, and Bryan Johnson on Comic Book Men.[2] Ming is often made fun of as part of his role on Comic Book Men, due to his long friendships with Bryan and Walt.[7][9]

Chen partnered with Hunter Pence and others to create Coral Sword: Coffee, Comics & Games in Houston, Texas, with a planned September 2017 opening.[10][11]

In January 2018, Chen—together with Mike Zapcic—opened a recording studio for podcasters called A Shared Universe PodcaStudio in Eatontown, NJ.[12]

Personal life

Chen is married to Debbie and has two children.[2] His favorite baseball team is the Baltimore Orioles.[4] Two of his favorite comic books include Ex Machina and Preacher. Chen's favorite book as a kid was Avengers #214.[13] On Comic Book Men, Chen was able to purchase the USS Flagg, a toy his parents could not afford.[14] He has also participated in several marathons.[15] Chen also does work for two non-profits, Street Poets Inc. and The Kenny Gordon Foundation.[8][16]

Filmography

Television
gollark: Paramaterize the symmetric bit over arbitrary binary relations.
gollark: Too bad. Fix it.
gollark: Equality is a binary relation too so this isn't generalised enough.
gollark: Bee this! What if I want binary relations on stuff without equality?!
gollark: Now, there's microG now, but also safetynet.

References
  1. Ming, Chen. "The life of Ming Si-Chen". ViewAskew.com. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  2. "How Ming Chen Became One of the Comic Book Men". Pacific Citizen. April 6, 2012. Archived from the original on April 20, 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
  3. Tebeau, John (Spring 2013). "The Amazing, Real-Life Adventures of Ming Chen" (PDF). LSA Magazine. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
  4. Dietsch, TJ (February 10, 2012). "Comic Book Men's Ming Chen on Podcasts, Collectibles & Reality TV". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
  5. McAllister, Bill (May 14, 2016). "'Comic Book Men' Star Ming Chen Says The Bad Boys Era Pistons Are The Best Of All-Time". WXYT. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  6. "'Comic Book Men' Michael Zapcic and Ming Chen at Fantasticon". WJBK. November 6, 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  7. Natale, Dan. "Red Bank: Ming Chen Flies Without a Cape". redbankgreen.com. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
  8. Hackett, Keisha (July 3, 2013). "Ming Chen to address I Sell Comics at Supercon". Teenlink South Florida. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
  9. Van Embden, Edward (February 13, 2012). "Comic Book Men Revealed". RedBank-Shrewsbury Patch. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
  10. Guillen, Darla (June 5, 2017). "Houston restaurant and bar news bites of the week". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  11. hris Cwik, Chris (May 25, 2017). "Hunter Pence goes full nerd, opens coffee, comics and games store". Big League Stew. Yahoo Sports. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  12. "A Shared Universe — Welcome all Podcasters!", Retrieved on July 23rd, 2019.
  13. Messer, Adam (May 6, 2016). "Saturday is Free Comic Book Day". Athens Banner-Herald. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  14. Tramel, Jimmie (February 11, 2017). "Pop culture: Q&A with Ming Chen of AMC's 'Comic Book Men' reality show". Tulsa World. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  15. Meyer, Craig (April 17, 2014). "Why I Run: Ming Chen of AMC's 'Comic Book Men'". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
  16. F. Disbrow, Warren (February 4, 2013). "An Interview With Ming Chen Of Comic Book Men". The Rag Rocks. Archived from the original on April 20, 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
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