Sanho Kim

Sanho Kim (born 1939 in Korea)

While still at university, Kim made his professional debut in Manhwa Segye Magazine with "A Shining Star at Dawn," a well-received story about fighters for Korean independence from Japan.

Charlton For Charlton, Kim worked on a number of the company's horror and suspense titles, particularly The Many Ghosts of Doctor Graves, Ghost Manor, Ghostly Haunts, Ghostly Tales, and Haunted. (In addition to providing artwork for many interior stories, Kim drew most of the covers for Ghost Manor vol. 1.) He also illustrated stories for the Charlton Western comics Billy the Kid and Cheyenne Kid, and the war comic War.

Kim's most important and artistically successful effort was for House of Yang (1975–1976), a spinoff of the Charlton title Yang, which ran from 1973 to 1976. The Yang titles were intended to capitalize on the mid-1970s Kung Fu craze in general and the television show Kung Fu in particular. House of Yang was set in Asia, which perfectly suited Kim's background and style. Kim had been slated to design and illustrate the original series, which he had titled Wrong Country, but the artwork was misplaced and Charlton regulars Joe Gill and Warren Sattler filled in for the duration of Yang'''s run. (The lost artwork for Wrong Country later turned up and was printed the CPL Gang fanzine Charlton Bullseye.)

Other Charlton titles Kim contributed to, though in a more sporadic fashion, included Beyond the Grave, Bounty Hunter, Fightin' Army, Fightin' Marines, Haunted Love, Scary Tales, Space Adventures, and Sword & Sorcery. During the period 1969–1976, Kim did over 60 covers for Charlton titles as well as interior lettering.

Other U.S. publishers While working for Charlton, Kim freelanced for Warren Publishing, crafting a backup feature in Vampirella and contributing to Eerie in 1971–1972. Kim illustrated The Sword and the Maiden (vol. 1 of Sword's Edge), which was written by Michael Juliar and published by Iron Horse Publishing in 1973. For Skywald Publications from 1974 to 1976, Kim did the art for The Fiend of Changsha and Horror. Benefiting from the notoriety of his Asian-themed work for Charlton, Kim moved to Marvel Comics in 1975, contributing stories to the black-and-white comics magazines Deadly Hands of Kung Fu and Monsters Unleashed.

Return to Korea In the early 1990s Kim traveled to China, where he came to believe that six thousand years earlier, ancient Koreans had governed broad areas of that country, including the Shandong Peninsula and Manchuria. Following his visit to China, Kim changed the focus of his comics to historical topics, including Daejusinjeguksa (History of Great Korean Empire). In this project, as well as The Duman River and The Story of Buddha, Kim has combined Western painting with comics art, in his words inventing a new form of "picture scenario" to tell his stories.

Kim returned to South Korea in 1996. In October 2008, he was awarded the Order of Cultural Merit by the South Korean government.