Chris Chan is an American cartoonist and internet personality known for creating the webcomic series Sonichu. She gained widespread notoriety across internet forums and social platforms following the publication of her comics and extensive self-published online media.
Personal background and transition
Chris Chan was born in Charlottesville, Virginia, to Robert Franklin Chandler Jr., an electrical engineer, and Barbara Anne Weston, a secretary for a power utility. She grew up in Ruckersville, Virginia, alongside three older half-siblings: Cole Smithey, David Alan Chandler, and Carol Chandler. In childhood, she was diagnosed with autism after experiencing early speech delays.
Chan publicly came out as a transgender woman in August 2014, requesting the use of female pronouns. In 2016, she legally updated her first name to Christine.
Education and creation of Sonichu
Chan attended Greene County Primary School, Nathaniel Greene Elementary School, Province Middle School, and Manchester High School in Virginia. She went on to study at Piedmont Virginia Community College, graduating in 2006 with a degree in Computer Aided Drafting and Design.
In March 2000, Chan conceived the character Sonichu, a combination of the video game and anime characters Sonic the Hedgehog and Pikachu, originally for a school assignment. She self-published the first issue of the Sonichu comic series in March 2005. The comic, along with Chan's accompanying video logs and independent musical recordings under the name Christian and the Hedgehog Boys, attracted extensive attention and trolling from internet forums beginning around 2007.
Chan also contributed to community-driven media projects. She provided artwork and voice roles for the collaborative fan film Shrek Retold in 2018 and served as an illustrator on the collaborative animation Sonic Rebuilt in 2020.
Legal history and incarceration
In October 2011, Chan and her mother were arrested after an incident involving the owner of a local hobby and game shop who had barred Chan from the premises.
In August 2021, Chan was arrested in Greene County, Virginia, on felony incest charges following the online release of recorded phone conversations involving her mother. Chan was held without bail at the Central Virginia Regional Jail in Orange, Virginia. She remained incarcerated until her release on March 27, 2023, after which the criminal proceedings concluded with a deferred disposition and dismissal connected to her mental health and autism diagnosis.
Quick facts
- Graduated from Piedmont Virginia Community College in 2006 with a degree in Computer Aided Drafting and Design.
- Conceived the hybrid character Sonichu on March 17, 2000, before publishing the comic series in March 2005.
- Provided voice acting and illustrations for the collaborative project Shrek Retold in 2018.
- Contributed illustration work to the collaborative animation project Sonic Rebuilt in 2020.
- Legally changed her first name to Christine in 2016 after publicly coming out as a transgender woman in 2014.
- Was arrested alongside her mother in October 2011 following a vehicular altercation with a game store owner.
- Was incarcerated at the Central Virginia Regional Jail from August 2021 until March 2023.
- Had felony incest charges dismissed under a deferred disposition citing her autism diagnosis.
FAQs about Chris Chan
What is Chris Chan's birthday?
Chris Chan was born on February 24, 1982.
Does Chris Chan have a college degree?
Yes, she earned a degree in Computer Aided Drafting and Design from Piedmont Virginia Community College in 2006.
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