Derek Kirk Kim is a Korean-American graphic novelist living in the San Francisco Bay area of California. He is one of the more popular webcomics creators, having successfully "crossed over" to considerable acclaim in the print comics field, winning both major industry awards, the Eisner and the Harvey, for his debut graphic novel Same Difference and Other Stories, which was originally serialized on his website Lowbright (http://www.lowbright.com/).

Derek Kirk Kim was born in 1974 in Kumi, South Korea , and came to the United States when he was 8. He considers himself fortunate to have received formal training in the visual arts and in the craft of writing. Much of his early highly acclaimed work was done while living with his parents in Pacifica, California.

All of his stories reflect, to a greater or lesser degree, his personal experiences. He offers poignant tales with an ever present dash of humor. His drawing style is realistic and clean, based on the "clear line" school made famous by Tintin creator Hergé. His story lines range from the naturalistic to the fantastic. Some critics have noted a misanthropic, or even slightly misogynistic undercurrent in Kirk Kim's work (see "Derek Kirk Kim: A Critic's Roundtable," linked below in References), though it is somewhat mitigated by the sunny, airy and humorous overall presentation of the material. In addition, most of the hostility and criticism of Kirk Kim's work seems to be self-directed (either explicitly or by skewering protagonists who resemble their creator), perhaps reflecting the influence of Robert Crumb.

References

• Bengal, et alia. Flight: Volume One. Image Comics, 2004. (ISBN 1582403813)
• Brownstein, Charles. "Tape This to Your Cubicle Wall". The Comics Journal No. 240. January 2002 ("The year in review")
• Garrity, Shaenon. "Two Skills in Tandem (http://webcomicsreview.com/examiner/issue040913/dkkwork.html)", The Webcomics Examiner, September 2004
• G, William, et al. "Derek Kirk Kim: A Critics Roundtable (http://webcomicsreview.com/examiner/issue040913/dkkrt.html)", The Webcomics Examiner, September 2004
• Kim, Derek Kirk. Same Difference & Other Stories. Top Shelf Productions, 2004 (ISBN 1891830570)