Thumbs Up: Chandra Free

Chandra Free is one of those excellent results to the ugliness of conventions. I’ve written a few times about how awry comic book conventions can go. Chandra’s one of those rare benefits that come from hitting a show.

I became acquainted with Chan through our publisher, Archaia Comics (nee Archaia Studios Press). Though she was already a skilled artist, her first God Machine comic hadn’t come out yet. Still, she was already quite a draw with her samples, her sketches, and her charming demeanor. Not to mention her fashion sense.

Chan’s the perfect example of a person I may never have had a chance to befriend — and a talent I would never have had a chance to appreciate — if not for the cameraderies made with the behind-the-booth experience. We’ve had good laughs, shared eye rolls, and spotted some of both the craziest costumes and most earnest/desperate story proposals.

All that would be enough for me to praise Chan; it helps, though, that her work is extraordinary, all the moreso as she battles through wrist pain to deliver it from her swirling mind to audience’s eyes. And, she doesn’t just deliver on the page but also on the screen, live streaming videos of her art process for interested fans and admirers.

As her portfolio grows, people need to watch her ascent — particularly before the folks at The Venture Bros. snatch her up! In the meantime, Chan remains the illustrator to one of my favorite pieces of original art.

So, Ms. Chandra “SpookyChan” Free: Thumbs Up!