MEDIA MONDAY: Tony Chu
March 8th, 2010 | Published in Media Monday
Tony Chu is a cop.
Tony Chu is a special cop.
Tony Chu is a cop who gets psychic impressions of the origins of food…or anything else he can eat. A Cibopath.
What does this all mean? It means that one of the newest and bestselling comic books, CHEW
, stars a Chinese American character that breaks molds about what Asian Americans can be. Living in a world where the US government has outlawed chicken due to bird flu, Tony uses his unique powers to track down criminals in some bizarre and darkly humorous stories that combine food and crime in the service of the FDA (Food and Drug Administration).Created by John Layman and drawn by Rob Guillory in 2009, the character of Tony Chu was made with the express purpose of creating an Asian American character that wasn’t a stereotype. Based in part on the actor Ken Leung (Kid Omega in “X-Men: The Last Stand,” Liam Liu in “Shanghai Kiss” and Miles Straume in “Lost” are some recent roles), creator Layman has said:
If there is ever a TV or movie version of ‘Chew,’ he’s got exactly the right intensity for the part and is this great mix of engaging and appealing and likable, while being a little unlikable at the same time—just like Tony Chu, who’s a guy a lot of other characters in the book regard as kind of a dick. At least, that’s what his own brother thinks. And his partner.”
The stories in CHEW
The series is now nine issues strong and a collection of the first story arc CHEW: Taster’s Choice
has made it to number five on the New York Times Graphic Books Best Sellers list.The Official CHEW Website
John Layman Bites Back in “CHEW” on Comic Book Resources
CHEW: Taster’s Choice
on Amazon.com