Ming Chen | Ming Chen Biography | Ming Chen IMDB
Ming Chen, as he is better known (Full name: Cliff Ming Si-Chen), is an actor, podcaster, reality television personality, and webmaster associated with Kevin Smith.
He co-hosts the I Sell Comics! podcast with Mike Zapcic and also stars in the AMC reality series Comic Book Men.
He 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.
Ming 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.
Ming Chen Age
Cliff Ming Si-Chen, better known as Ming Chen is an actor, podcaster, reality television personality, and webmaster associated with Kevin Smith. He was born on August 1. 1974 in Ohio, United States. Ming Chen is 45 years old as of 2019.
Ming Chen Family | Ming Chen Auburn University
Ming Chen was born in Ohio to parents born in China but raised in Taiwan. The family frequently moved due to his father being an upstart engineer but spent significant time in Jackson, Michigan and Ann Arbor, Michigan. Chen attended the University of Michigan (class of 1996), graduated with a degree in communications, and he at one point also worked at a video shop.
Ming Chen Wife
He is married to Debbie Dompierre 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
Ming Chen Net Worth
Cliff Ming Si-Chen, better known as Ming Chen is an actor, podcaster, reality television personality, and webmaster associated with Kevin Smith. Ming has an estimated Net Worth of $5 million dollars as of 2019. He co-hosts the I Sell Comics! podcast with Mike Zapcic and also stars in the AMC reality series Comic Book Men.
Ming Chen Comic Book Men
Comic Book Men is an American reality television series that aired on the AMC network from 2012 to 2018. It is set at Kevin Smith’s comic book shop, Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash, in Red Bank, New Jersey.
Chen first met Smith through the fansite he created in dedication to Smith in 1995, which led to Chen being hired to create the View Askew Productions website.
Today he continues to work on all of Smith’s online properties and is the technical expert at the Stash. He co-hosts the podcast I Sell Comics! with Mike Zapcic, and in his free time he does pro bono website work for two non-profit organizations: Street Poets Inc. and The Kenny Gordon Foundation.
Production history
Filmmaker Kevin Smith was drawn to television through his love of podcasting, through which he says he realized his true calling: telling stories with words rather than pictures.
His website, SModcast.com, features a number of podcasts, including I Sell Comics!, hosted by Mike Zapcic and Ming Chen, and Tell ‘Em Steve-Dave!, co-hosted by Walt Flanagan and Bryan Johnson.
The latter was the inspiration for Comic Book Men. Brian Quinn, the third co-host of Tell ‘Em Steve-Dave!, was unable to be featured in the series due to the conditions of his contract for the TruTV series Impractical Jokers.
NJ.com reported on July 2011 that AMC was interested in the TV show that was being developed by Smith, which was set at Smith’s store, and described as “Pawn Stars for geeks”.
The series would be part of the AMC network’s active entry into reality television. AMC decided to pick up the show to follow The Walking Dead. The working title was Secret Stash before it was finalized as Comic Book Men.
The first season ran for six one-hour episodes, the premiere of which aired on February 12, 2012, following the return of The Walking Dead’s second season.
On May 9, AMC announced that Comic Book Men was renewed for a second season of 16 half-hour episodes. Season 2 premiered October 14, 2012, initially following the third season of The Walking Dead with its first 8 episodes; the second 8 episodes spearheaded AMC’s new “Real Original Thursdays” lineup along with two new series, Freakshow, and Immortalized.
On its new night, it initially aired at 9:00 PM EST (with repeats at 10:30 PM and 12:00 Midnight EST), but after a month was moved to 10:00 PM EST with a repeat episode airing at 10:30 PM (and repeats of both episodes at 1:00 AM and 1:30 AM EST, respectively)
AMC commissioned a third season on April 2013. Season 3 premiered October 13, 2013, following the third season of Talking Dead.
A fourth season was commissioned in March 2014. It was also announced that guest cast member Robert Bruce would be the focus of a companion series that will follow him as he searches for collectibles at sales, auctions and flea markets across the country. AMC announced in October 2014 they were canceling all unscripted shows except for Comic Book Men and Talking Dead and, as a result, Bruce’s show did not progress past the pilot stage.
Season five was confirmed on June 7, 2015, premiered on October 18, 2015, and ran through 2016.
In May 2016, Smith confirmed that the series was renewed for a sixth season. It began on October 23, 2016. A seventh season was confirmed on May 2017 by Kevin Smith. On June 24, 2018, Kevin Smith confirmed the show was canceled.
Ching Ming Festival
The Qingming or Ching Ming festival, also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day in English (sometimes also called Chinese Memorial Day or Ancestors’ Day), is a traditional Chinese festival observed by the Han Chinese of Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand.
It falls on the first day of the fifth solar term of the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar. This makes it the 15th day after the Spring Equinox, either 4 or 5 April in a given year.
During Qingming, Chinese families visit the tombs of their ancestors to clean the gravesites, pray to their ancestors, and make ritual offerings. Offerings would typically include traditional food dishes and the burning of joss sticks and joss paper. The holiday recognizes the traditional reverence of one’s ancestors in Chinese culture.
The Qingming Festival has been observed by the Chinese for over 2500 years. It became a public holiday in mainland China in 2008. In Taiwan, the public holiday was in the past observed on 5 April to honor the death of Chiang Kai-shek on that day in 1975, but with Chiang’s popularity waning, this convention is not being observed. A similar holiday is observed in the Ryukyu Islands, called Shīmī in the local language.
In mainland China, the holiday is associated with the consumption of qingtuan, green dumplings made of glutinous rice and Chinese mugwort or barley grass. A similar confection called caozaiguo or shuchuguo, made with Jersey cudweed is consumed in Taiwan.
Ching Ming Festival 2020 and 2021 | Ming Chen Meaning
Ching Ming Festival is one of China’s largest events based on the lunar calendar. Ching Ming officially starts 104 days after the winter solstice. The festival usually begins on April 4th or 5th, but activities may start as early as 10 days prior.
In English, Ching Ming is often referred to as Tomb Sweeping Day or Pure Brightness because of the holiday’s events. The primary role of the Ching Ming Festival is to pay respect to ancestors. While many Chinese holidays are oriented around ancestor worship, Ching Ming is the largest. Filial piety is a central aspect of traditional Chinese culture, so it should come as no surprise that this is one of the most widely celebrated holidays in the Middle Kingdom. Nearly every ethnic group in China celebrates Ching Ming in one way or another. Ching Ming is also a celebration of spring because of the incoming planting season in most of China.
Legend
According to Chinese stories and folklore, the Ching Ming Festival got its start sometime between 700 and 500 BCE. Legend states that a man named Jie Zitui, a loyal servant of a Chinese lord, helped his lord survive through exile. In order to prevent his lord from starving to death, Jie cut meat from his own leg and fed it to his lord. Surviving this ordeal, the lord returned to power 19 years later.
By this time, the Lord had forgotten about Jie’s service. Sometime later, the lord remembered Jie and felt regretful about forgetting. The lord intended to reward Jie, but by the time he found him, Jie had passed away. To honor the life and death of Jie, the lord established Ching Ming as a holiday to commemorate the dead.
Traditions
During the Ching Ming Festival, there are various customs and traditions that people take part in. One of the most enjoyed festival activities is kite flying. During the day, people fly kites of various colors to celebrate spring. People also celebrate the holiday with kites in the evening, but small lanterns are attached.
When hundreds of kites are in the air, the Chinese sky looks like it is filled with many stars. The kites are symbolic of good fortune, but according to legend, they are also said to be able to cure and prevent diseases.
In accordance with the Ching Ming Festival’s tradition of ancestor worship, an activity known as tomb sweeping is an important part of the festival day or the 10 days leading up to it. The purpose of this activity is to clean and beautify the graves or urns of ancestors. Weeds will be removed from grave plots and fresh dirt will be brought to the surface. In many cases, people will also offer their ancestors their favorite food and wine as a tribute.
Incense and flowers may also be brought as a show of respect. There are many varieties of flowers that can be used during this holiday, but peach blossom and chrysanthemum flowers are among the most popular. In cities, the process of honoring the dead is not as elaborate due to the practice of cremation in place of traditional burials. In all cases, good prayers are said for ancestors and deceased relatives.
After paying respects to ancestors, many Chinese take part in a spring outing, or taqing (踏青), to enjoy the warm weather and company of friends. The first spring outing occurred during the Tang Dynasty and it has become a time of celebration ever since.
In order to get exercise and experience nature, many Chinese people will go on a trip to a city center or natural area. Popular activities include seeing gardens, walking through parks with family members, hiking through natural areas, and participating in sports. The spring outing is meant to promote happiness and good health habits after commemorating ancestors.
Food
As with most great festivals, Ching Ming offers a wide selection of special cuisine to celebrate happiness. One of the favorite dishes of Ching Ming is sazi (撒子). Sazi is fried wheat or rice flour that has been bound with eggs, onion, sesame, or other ingredients. The exact recipe for sazi depends on the region and the chef. This is a salty or savory food that is enjoyed throughout China.
Snails that have been seasoned with onion and salt are also a favorite dish during the Ching Ming Festival. To specifically celebrate the spring outing and warm months, Chinese people also enjoy qingtuan (青团), or green dumplings.
These dumplings resemble green apples and are made of rice powder, green vegetable juice, and sweetened bean paste. Qingtuan has a sweet taste and are green. Some Chinese chefs also create their own unique variations of this dish.
Ming Chen Podcast
Ming Chen entered the world of podcasting in 2007 as one of the architects behind Kevin Smith’s SModCast Network. His first responsibilities included all technical aspects of the network as well as the design, maintenance, and marketing of SModCast’s online presence.
As the network grew and more shows were added, Ming was asked to create and co-host podcasts of his own including the award-winning “I Sell Comics,” “The SModCo SMorning Show” and “The Secret Stash: The Official Comic Book Men Companion Podcast.” He can also be heard as an occasional guest on the massively popular “Tell ’em Steve-Dave” podcast.
In 2011 Ming became a cast member of the hit AMC TV unscripted show “Comic Book Men” along with A Shared Universe co-founder Michael Zapcic. Based out of Kevin Smith’s comic book store “Jay & Silent Bob’s Secret Stash” in Red Bank, NJ, this show focuses on amazing comics and vintage toys and the stories behind them. It is the first TV show to use podcasting as part of its narrative.
Based on the popularity of the show, Ming became a frequent featured guest at numerous comic book conventions around the world. These conventions include the New York Comic Con, Comicpalooza in Houston, Walker Stalker Con, Heroes and Villains FanFest, Edinburgh Comic Con, Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo, C2E2 in Chicago and more. It was at these conventions that listeners of Ming’s podcasts began approaching him for advice on starting their own shows. These interactions became the genesis behind A Shared Universe PodcaStudio.
In 2017 Ming Chen and Mike Zapcic decided to open A Shared Universe in Eatontown, NJ in an effort to help aspiring podcasters start their own shows and to help experienced podcasters become even better. Their goal is to create an amazing environment where all podcasters can create, collaborate, record and be inspired by this amazing new medium.