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. 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.

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. Chen attended the University of Michigan, graduated with a degree in communications, and he at one point also worked at a video shop.
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Career

Ming Chen became involved with Kevin Smith after making a fansite dedicated to the movie Clerks in 1996. Smith asked Chen to build the View Askew Productions website. Chen served as an extra in the movie Dogma. After working around the Washington, D.C. area, and LivePlanet for two years, he joined Kevin Smith's company in 2002. Chen became the full-time webmaster of View Askew after moving to New Jersey. 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.
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. 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. Ming is often made fun of as part of his role on Comic Book Men, due to his long friendships with Bryan and Walt.
Chen partnered with Hunter Pence and others to create Coral Sword: Coffee, Comics & Games in Houston, Texas, with a planned September 2017 opening.
In January 2018, Chen—together with Mike Zapcic—opened a recording studio for podcasters called A Shared Universe PodcaStudio in Eatontown, NJ.

Personal life

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

Filmography