Chris was born in Davao City, Mindanao in the Philippines. At a very young age he developed a knack for detail and realized that he could lose himself by making things with his own hands. It was at this time that he felt the pull of imagery through paperback covers, album covers, cartoons and comic-books. With no proper tutelage he exercised his budding talent by imitation, exploration and jumping on every project whether it was crafts or art at the Roman Catholic school he attended. Chris’ mother thought it best for him to move to the United States, and on November 16, 1986 he started the next phase of his life in New York, NY. Traveling alone to the states, he debarked at JFK International Airport, had a bacon and egg breakfast and his first glimpse of light snow falling in New York.
His high school years were spent in the art room, making sets for the performance stage at Lincoln High School in Yonkers, NY while also enjoying the lacrosse. Chris was lucky to be picked for a short internship at Ciba Geigy Graphic Arts department through one of the school’s outreach programs.
In 1994 he was accepted to The School of Visual Arts (SVA) in NYC. As an Illustration major, he developed a mentality that leans more towards the Fine Arts. His growth as an artist at SVA was forged with the help of several amazing instructors with totally opposing techniques, ideas, and theories. While attending college Torres worked under New York Art Directors Club Hall of Fame Laureate, Tony Palladino for an illustrated book pitch and later was graced enough to spend time with the PoP Artist Robert Stanley as a studio assistant.
While still at SVA, Chris received honorable mentions from the Art Directors Club and The Society of Illustrators for student competitions including a First Prize from the Art Directors Club in 1998. Chris graduated from SVA in 1998 with a Fine Arts Degree specializing in illustration. Upon graduation, Chris received the “Rhodes Family Award” for outstanding achievement in Illustration.
While practicing as a freelance Illustrator, Chris’ comic-book cover credits have included: Chapel vol.3 issue # 1, 1997 (Awesome Entertainment). Love Sucks: the series #5, 1997 (ACE). Iron Wings vol. 2 issue 2, 2000 (Image Comics). Chris has illustrated 10 interior pages of the D.E.A. Enforcers for the Crime Wave Anthology #1, 2009 (Three J Productions, LLC).
It was during this time that Torres met Mark Mazz (then creative director and editor for Guild Works Productions) and contributed cover art to Psychosis #2 (which went unused). Torres then collaborated with writer Robert J. Sodaro on Sodaro’s Agent Unknown series. Originally published in 1987 through Renegade Press, Agent Unknown was re-imagined with Torres designing characters and visuals for a post-Cold War era. Torres and Sodaro collaborated on a relaunch for Agent Unknown in Comicbook Artists Guild Anthology #7, with a pair of new characters named Springload & Renegade. Sodaro and Torres plan to continue the series in the new publishing venture, Atlas Unleashed.
Torres’ controversial cover painting for Psychosis #2 was published when the title moved to Atlas Unleashed as the cover for Psychosis TODAY #4. Torres’ image of violence in the classroom was to much for the previous publisher to endorse, while Atlas Unleashed’s founder, Mark Mazz stood by the work.
Torres’ painted art has appeared for multiple concerns including: Tap Dogs NY (Mural work), The Museum of Sex, NY (Mural work for the museum’s opening), Just Designs (Gas Mask image for Rap group), Lawn Gnome Records (“Chasing Sunday” CD packaging design and interior art), Hypnote Recording Concern (“Wolfgang”, a singing vocoded voice robot for Hypnote Records and painted imagery for use as CD packaging and promotions). Show Glue Music (“The Sleighboys” CD packaging design and interior art).
Recently, Chris’ work was displayed along with other artists at The Longwood Art Gallery at Hostos University located in the Bronx, NY under the title “Dream Sequence” (2009). Currently he is working on a number of projects for Atlas Unleashed.
Date of Birth: July 6th
Birthplace: Davao City, Mindanao in the Philippines
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