Brace yourself for the kick-ass superhero illustrations of Michael Cho

If I met Michael Cho in person I’d be inclined to wrestle him to the floor and scream at him for stealing my dreams, although he does seem like a thoroughly nice guy. You see Michael makes his living from drawing exquisite pictures of superheroes (amongst other things) in the biggest, blockiest, in your face style you’ve ever laid eyes on; layering up gouache and ink on bristol board in the time-honoured tradition of all comic book greats. This was my goal as a small child – I spent countless hours inventing my own stylised super heroes, none of whom would have done a great job of protecting anyone from a Gotham city thief – and it’s fair to say it’s one that I’ve yet to realise.

Michael has inked all the comic book staples, from Spider Man and Super Boy to Thor and the Silver Surfer, as well as amassing a huge body of children’s illustration and book covers for the likes of Penguin and Random House; yet another example of comic book culture’s relentless march on mainstream entertainment. Michael’s heroes are of the classic variety; muscled, chiseled and here to save your ass – there’s no emotional frailty and psychological trauma here – which surely explains his near-universal appeal.

Regardless of his dream-thieving I’d like to congratulate Mr Cho and his skilful hands on creating some altogether stunning work. Bravo!