Super Friends in Oz by Kevenn T. Smith
I participated in my comic book shop's annual auction to raise money for the Cleveland Food Bank. One person won an exclusive edition of my Super Friends in Oz piece that I created for the auction. The illustration is an homage to the Super Friends episode "The Planet of Oz," where Mr. Mxyzsptlk sends a tornado to transport Superman, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman inside of the Hall of Justice to the planet of Oz. Upon arrival, he transforms them into versions of characters from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz book. The three of them have to find their way through many encounters on the planet until they reach "The Wizard" and of course manage to trick Mr. Mxyzsptlk into saying his name backwards, thus forcing him to set everything right.
As an homage, I didn't want to try to create something that looked like an animation cell from the episode. I wanted to inject my own style into it, three-dimensionalize the visuals, and offer more nods to the 1939 MGM musical of The Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland. That meant adding a "Dorothy" to the piece, and while Jayna of the Wonder Twins actually did appear in the original episode, I decided to use Wendy Harris, a character who regularly appeared in only the first season of the Super Friends show. I thought that Wendy's color scheme and design would better meld with Dorothy's and look better alongside the other characters in the piece. And while I'm a HUGE fan of the Oz books, the makers of the movie musical were not wrong when they decided that ruby slippers would "pop" more against the Yellow Brick Road compared to silver slippers that were in the book.
Prints of this piece are available directly from me. Fill out the "Contact Me" form at the left of this page to contact me regarding a print and inquire about pricing. 
"Super Friends in Oz" by Kevenn T. Smith
Pencil & Photoshop
©2022 Kevenn T. Smith
Masks Are Fashion, Masks Are Heroic - Finale
I spent a year working on all of these individual designs and the setting for this composite piece. When I was working on it, several times throughout the year of 2021 I wondered if this piece would be obsolete or no longer relevant by the time I finished all the planned entries. Sadly, the answer is that it's more relevant than ever. With the Omicron variant being five times as transmissible as the already more transmissible Delta variant, whether you're vaccinated or not, the best way to help protect yourself and others (after being vaccinated) wearing a mask when having to be near others. Being vaccinated and wearing a mask are the best ways to stop the spread of this virus. I wish this piece was obsolete so that life could get back to the way things were before the pandemic happened.
Prints of this piece are available directly from me. Fill out the "Contact Me" form at the left of this page to contact me regarding a print and inquire about pricing.
Pictured Left to Right starting at the bottom, Row 1: Black Canary, Huntress, Barda, Isis, Donna Troy, Nubia, Lois Lane, Wonder Woman, Artemis, Vixen, Katana, Batgirl, Zatanna, Mera
Row 2: Ice, Omen, Power Girl, Flamebird, Hawkgirl, Dove, Bumblebee
Row 3: Fire, Dr. Light, Starfire, Catwoman, Batwoman, Raven, Supergirl, Green Lantern
Row 4: Red Tornado
Right-click on the thumbnail below and open it in a new tab to see a larger image size. Thank you for taking the time to experience this piece and this series. I hope it inspires you to wear a mask.
"Masks Are Fashion, Masks Are Heroic" by Kevenn T. Smith
Pencil, Ink, Photoshop
©2021 Kevenn T. Smith
All characters ©DC Comics
Masks Are Fashion, Masks Are Heroic - Artemis
This is the 25th entry that I've posted in the series featuring "red carpet" takes on superheroes in costume with masks to promote the pro-social & pro-health practice of mask wearing during a pandemic.
At the time of this posting, the Delta Variant of the COVID-19 virus is posing a real threat upon the world. It is even more contagious than previous iterations of the virus, and the World Health Organization recommends mask wearing regardless of vaccination status.
If this writing had an audio option, this is where I would cue up Mariah Carey saying, "And now for the deluxe." This entry is one of the last six entries in this series that I had planned and considered "bonus material" of "deep cut" characters. Artemis of the Bana Mighdall Amazons was created in the mid 1990's, thus she's a redhead with an impossibly long flowing ponytail that never seems to hinder her in her adventures. The Bana Mighdall tribe of Amazons had split off from the Themiscyran Amazons thousands of years ago, before they were lead to Paradise Island. The Bana's (as they became known) were unwilling to give up their desire for revenge against men. Eventually, they ended up settling in Egypt and developed a worship of some Egyptians gods, who erected a mystical sandstorm around their city of Bana Mighdall (which translated to "The Temple of Women"). The Banas became a very warrior-like and violent tribe, adopting modern weapons and kidnapping men to use as breeding stock. Their tribe's champion was call Shim'Tar. As Artemis grew, her best friend and love, Akila, competed against Artemis for the right to become Shim'Tar, but Akila ended up winning that title before eventually meeting her death. Eventually, the Banas agreed to help the evil sorceress Circe attack the Themiscyran Amazons. Artemis was 14 at the time and was the only Amazon who protested the decision before the Bana Council. They should have listened, because they were betrayed by Circe, and all Amazons were cast into a demon dimension where the two tribes were forced to join forces fighting off demon hordes for ten years.
Eventually, Wonder Woman convinced Circe to return the Amazons to their own dimension. However, Queen Hippolyta began having visions of Wonder Woman dying, so she arranged to have a new Contest for the title of Wonder Woman and she secretly had the Amazon sorceress Magala cast a spell that siphoned Diana's powers off to Artemis when they were near each other. This caused Diana to lose the Contest, and Artemis won and became the new Wonder Woman for a time. Artemis was brash and had no patience for complex situations and problems that she blamed Diana for not fixing in the world. Her time as Wonder Woman was short, as she ended up dying fighting the White Magician. With her last breath, she gave Diana the Gauntlet of Hermes, which she used to increase her strength, thus giving Diana the power that she needed to defeat the White Magician. Since it's comic books, Artemis ended up returning from the dead, and she maintains an uneasy and sometimes slightly antagonistic relationship with Diana. Currently, the Bana Mighdall are back to being based in Egypt, and Artemis, seems to be their champion, or at least a trusted agent, as she is currently appearing in the new Wonder Girl title.
This look pulls mostly from Artemis' current "DC Rebirth" costume, which in itself is a black, red, and gold rework of her Requiem costume, a look she wore when she was first resurrected and joined a group of demon hunters. the footwear is a callback to her time wearing the Wonder Woman costume. Her mask pattern is a variant on the theme that the other Wonder Woman characters in this series have featured.
Thank you for taking the time to experience this piece. 
"Masks Are Fashion, Masks Are Heroic - Artemis" by Kevenn T. Smith
Pencil, Ink, Photoshop
©2021 Kevenn T. Smith
Artemis ©DC Comics
Masks Are Fashion, Masks Are Heroic - Donna Troy
This is the 20th and 21st entries that I've posted in the series featuring "red carpet" takes on superheroes in costume with masks to promote the pro-social & pro-health practice of mask wearing during a pandemic.
Donna Troy is a beloved superhero. As the first Wonder Girl (not counting Wonder Woman herself as a girl), Donna Troy was a member of the Teen Titans. Donna Troy has ha SEVERAL headache-inducing origins throughout her decades existence, but her original is really the best, simplest, and easiest to understand. She was an orphaned baby/toddler, rescued by Wonder Woman from a burning building, taken to Paradise Island/Themiscyra to heal, and in the process was imbued with Amazon abilities. She was then raised by Queen Hippolyta as an adopted daughter and sister to Wonder Woman - and became a sidekick of sorts. Sadly, we got precious rare actual printed material of Wonder Woman and Wonder Girl actually working together. It was more a thing that was talked about than ever shown. And that's a real shame. As Wonder Girl, Donna had a lot of the same powers as Wonder Woman, but not as much. She even had a lasso as well. Donna's first Wonder Girl outfit consisted of star spangled short-shorts, and a red chiton with a golden eagle emblazoned on the chest and the neck and armholes trimmed with a gold pattern that homaged a Greek key pattern She also had red lace up sandals like Wonder Woman did in the 1950s and 60s. But that changed in the 70s, and Wonder Girl got a new full-bodied star spangled red catsuit with a "w" shaped buckle on her golden belt, a golden eagle necklace around her neck, and a long hairdo, aging her up from the teeny bopper pony tail look that she had been sporting.
My take on Donna Troy is a big send up to her first red catsuit Wonder Girl costume, while using the plunging neckline of her more famous version of that costume that George Perez created for The New Teen Titans. It also references Debra Winger's Wonder Girl costume from the ABC season of the 1970s Lynda Carter Wonder Woman television show with the wrap aspect and the stars on the left side of the chest that are virtually the same color as the dress. I also wanted to visually reference the latter starfield pattern that would show up in Donna's later costumes, that always read as sparkly sequins or beads to me, that created a starfield look.
"Masks Are Fashion, Masks Are Heroic - Donna Troy" by Kevenn T. Smith
Pencil, Ink, Photoshop
©2021 Kevenn T. Smith
Donna Troy and Wonder Girl ©DC Comics
Reality shifted in the comic books, as they seem to do, and Wonder Woman was rebooted as being younger and just arriving to Patriarch's World. At the same time, New Teen Titans was one of DC's big selling titles, and they didn't want to start over from scratch there, so Donna's origins tying her to Wonder Woman were replaced to being rescued by the Greek Titans of myth, and trained and empowered by them...ad then she just happens to call herself Wonder Girl and wear a Wonder Woman-like costume years before Diana shows up as Wonder Woman...And many "fixes" would appear in the comics to try to make that work. When her connection to the Titans of myth was reveled, she received a new costume (the first with the starfield) and a new hero identity, Troia. Her Troia costumes were dominated by the black starfield, and after a while, silver accessories, as opposed to gold. This second version of her look is the Troia version.
From the hair to the dress and shoes, I was also inspired by singer/songwriter Dua Lipa for this look. Dua Lipa embodies the aura of a young twety-something, vibrant, fashionable, and independent woman, and I feel that Donna Troy is that as well.
Thank you for taking the time to experience these pieces.
"Masks Are Fashion, Masks Are Heroic - Donna Troy 2" by Kevenn T. Smith
Pencil, Ink, Photoshop
©2021 Kevenn T. Smith
Donna Troy and Troia © DC Comics
Masks Are Fashion, Masks Are Heroic - Nubia
This is the second posted entry in this series of PSA type illustrations to promote the pro-social and pro-health concept of mask wearing during the pandemic and depicts superheroes in "red carpet" takes on their superhero costumes.
This entry also ties in with Black History Month, as Nubia was the first super heroic black woman depicted in mainstream US comic books in 1972, two years prior to the appearance of Storm in 1974 in the X-Men book over at Marvel Comics. She debuted in a 3 part story in the Wonder Woman title. She initially started out being an antagonist, but ended up as an ally. Her origin is that she is the twin of Diana, Wonder Woman. When Queen Hippolyta was sculpting Diana before she was brought to life, she actually sculpted two babies, one using darker clay, which was Nubia. When the two baby sculptures were brought to life, the god Mars (Ares) kidnapped the infant Nubia and ended up raising her on a far-off island of warriors, where she became one of the fiercest warriors there. Years later, she showed up on Paradise Island to defeat the Amazons and Wonder Woman, but ended up rejecting Mars and his conditioning. She showed up later in an issue of Supergirl and an issue of Super Friends, where she had become the Wonder Woman of Africa.
Lately, Nubia has been showing up in her own back-up story in Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman by L.L. McKinney and Alitha Martinez, where I took the design cues here from. Also available is a Young Adult graphic novel also written by L.L. McKinney entitled "Nubia: Real One." Later in 2021, DC Comics will be putting out a comic called "Nubia and the Amazons," and I cannot tell you how excited I am for that!
"Masks Are Fashion, Masks Are Heroic - Nubia" by Kevenn T. Smith
Pencil, Ink, Photoshop
©2021 Kevenn T. Smith
Nubia ©DC Comics
Masks Are Fashion, Masks Are Heroic - Wonder Woman
Back in the day when I was in high school, there were two things that I loved to draw the most often: superheroes and fashion. My local comic book shop asked for artwork for a fund raising auction to raise money for the Cleveland Food Bank, and the theme was "The Pandemic." I wanted to apply those two things that I used to draw all the time and mix them into "The Pandemic." And so, this new "PSA" series was born mixing "red carpet" takes on superhero looks along with face coverings to promote a pro-social and pro-health message. Some of the pieces in this series go for a more literal take, while others go further away from the origins, but still strive to retain recognizable elements of that character's visual identity.
The first entry is more of the former than the latter. As my favorite superhero and the biggest superheroine in the DC Universe, Wonder Woman is of course leading the line. Mermaid silhouette gowns have always been my favorite. I really wanted to take Wonder Woman's look and "Plus It Up," and at the same time, figure out a way to incorporate the magic lasso beyond just hanging as a coil at her hip. So please enjoy the illustration, and I hope you are inspired to keep yourself and those around you safe during the current COVID-19 Pandemic that we are going through and will be for some time. And stay tuned for for installments in this series!
"Masks Are Fashion, Masks Are Heroic - Wonder Woman" by Kevenn T. Smith
Pencil, Ink, Photoshop
©2021 Kevenn T. Smith
Wonder Woman ©DC Comics
Pagan Amazon Princess
My local comic book store, Carol and John's Comic Book Shop has an amazing Holiday party every year. During the party, there is an art auction to rise money for the Cleveland Food Bank. Each artist who participates gets a blank comic book cover to render however they want to, and last December, the theme was "The Holidays." Wonder Woman being my favorite comic book character, I wanted to draw her, but I also wanted to depict her in an appropriate holiday setting for one of the most famous pagan comic book heroes. I did a "by hand" piece for a Wonder Woman "Solstice Special" comic book cover. I ended up getting a sizeable number of bids for my piece, which ultimately generated 272 meals at the Cleveland Food Bank! Incredible!
"Wonder Woman: Solstice Special" by Kevenn T. Smith
Pencil, Ink, Prismacolor color pencil
©2017 Kevenn T. Smith
Wonder Woman ©DC Comics
When I posted this picture on my Facebook wall, it got a lot of positive reaction, and people asked about prints being available. Because I did this piece for charity, I did want to keep something unique for the person who won this piece. I decided to do a digitally colored version that I call "Pagan Amazon Princess," which is more "year round" than "seasonal specific." If you like it and are interested in t-shirts, prints, or all of the other sorts of items that I usually offer my illustration on, use the "Contact Me" for on the upper left of this website.
"Pagan Amazon Princess" by Kevenn T. Smith
Pencil, Ink, Photoshop
©Kevenn T. Smith 2018
Wonder Woman ©DC Comics
"Amazon Princess 2" by Kevenn T. Smith
Wonder Woman is FINALLY about to get her own major motion picture released into theaters! I have been waiting ALL my life for this! And to celebrate, I needed a new Wonder Woman T-shirt to wear when I finally get to see Princess Diana of Themiscyra in her own live-action solo movie! Hence, the new work here.
Pencil, Ink, Photoshop
©Kevenn T. Smith 2017
Wonder Woman ©DC Entertainment
"Amazon Princess" by Kevenn T. Smith
My first piece that I complete in 2016 is an illustration of my favorite superhero, Princess Diana of Themiscyra, also known as Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman has played a very huge and important part of my life. I met my spouse through Wonder Woman fandom. And Wonder Woman stands up there with She-Ra for me as the kind of person and values that I try to emulate in my life.
For this illustration of Wonder Woman, I have been very inspired by the Wonder Woman '77 comic series and the recent The Legend of Wonder Woman comic series. I'm not fond of the way her mythos, history, origin, and costume were changed during DC's New 52. For me, my Wonder Woman has been gone since then, and the comic book has embraced a very effemophobic atmosphere, energy, and aesthetic.
My favorite Wonder Woman designs are Lynda Carter's CBS Wonder Woman costume and the costume designed by Terry & Rachel Dodson. I wanted to do a version that combined those two designs, and one that I want to celebrate feminine energy with. Wonder Woman is a fantasy princess to me, and I wanted her depiction to be joyous, feminine, fun, strong, and sexy. For me, the beauty in Wonder Woman is that she shows us it takes a special kind of strength to not be hard in a hard world. My Wonder Woman is soft and doesn't need to be hard in order to be victorious. I find Wonder Woman is far more impressive when she doesn't need large bracelets to deflects oncoming blows and projectiles and can do it just as well with small bracelets. I find it more amazing when Wonder Woman can subdue her foes using yonic instruments like her lasso, bracelets, and tiara without having to use a sword or shield or armor or an axe. That's my Wonder Woman, and that's the one I enjoy seeing and portraying.
As of now, this illustration is available on t-shirts, hoodies, kids'/babies' clothes, iPhone cases & skins, Samsung Galaxy cases & skins, laptop skins & sleeves, stickers, throw pillows, duvet covers, mugs, tote bags, and studio pouches at my RedBubble.com store. Click here or the image to go to the store.
Pencil, Ink, Photoshop
©Kevenn T. Smith 2016
Wonder Woman ©DC Comics
Dark Knight Daughter: The Huntress by Kevenn T. Smith
In the late 70's and early 80's, the character of The Huntress that appeared in DC Comics was Helena Wayne, the daughter of Batman and Catwoman on the alternate Earth known as Earth-2. She was a member of the Justice Society and also had her own series of back-up stories in the Wonder Woman comic book. DC Comics has just announced that the Earth-2 Huntress character will be appearing in a title called "World's Finest," alongside her best friend, Power Girl, also an Earth-2 character.
I thought I'd take the opportunity to dust off this old piece and give it a touch-up. I was never quiet 100% happy with the way it looked before. It was one of the first times I had tried to color digitally - with the background - while integrating it with hand colored aspects - The Huntress herself. I didn't feel like the two "meshed" together as well as I'd like. Now, after going back, I'm a lot happier with the final outcome.
This illustration is available as 8 by 12 inch prints on regular photo paper $20 + $8 shipping; or on metallic photo paper (which I highly recommend, because the quality is vastly superior!)for $25 + $8 shipping. Please use the "Contact Me" form at the top-left of this page to request one and inquire further about pricing and sizes.
Pencil, ink, Prismacolor color pencil, and Photoshop
Huntress ©DC Comics 2012
Superhero Artwork Merchandise by Kevenn T. Smith
Just in time for the Holiday Season, you can buy cards, prints and posters of some of my past superhero illustrations seen on this website!
Wonder Clubbing by Kevenn T. Smith. This illustration is available as prints. Please use the "Contact Me" form at the top-left of this page to request one and inquire further about pricing and sizes.
Here, Kitty, Kitty! by Kevenn T. Smith. This illustration is available as prints. Please use the "Contact Me" form at the top-left of this page to request one and inquire further about pricing and sizes.
A Boy and His Dog by Kevenn T. Smith. This illustration is available as prints. Please use the "Contact Me" form at the top-left of this page to request one and inquire further about pricing and sizes.
Double Transformation by Kevenn T. Smith. For sale as T-shirts, Skirts, Hoodies, Kids' & Babies' Clothes, Posters, Throw Pillows, Tote Bags, Studio Pouches, Mugs, Travel Mugs, Photographic Prints, Art Prints, Framed Prints, Canvas Prints, Metal Prints, Greeting Cards, Laptop Skins and more! Please use the "Contact Me" form at the top-left of this page to request and inquire about pricing and size options.
All artwork and images ©Kevenn T. Smith 2010
"The Lasso Is Mightier..." by Kevenn T. Smith
This is a new illustration of Wonder Woman that I've done that I call "The Lasso Is Mightier..." I'm one of those people that thinks Wonder Woman is so much cooler because the only things she really needs in order to get the job done is her lasso, bracelets, tiara, and powers. All the other stuff like swords, spears, axes, and armor - they're cool for someone like Xena or Red Sonya, but what makes Wonder Woman so wondrous is that she can take on armies, monsters, villains, and gods with just a few tools. Yes, she's THAT good!
This illustration is available as prints. Please use the "Contact Me" form at the top-left of this page to request one and inquire further about pricing and sizes.
Pencil, ink, Prismacolor color pencil, Photoshop.
Wonder Woman ©DC Comics 2010
Wonder Woman Day V: Transformation At Horror Hall by Kevenn T. Smith
Once again, I am participating in the charity auction for Wonder Woman Day V, 2010. The auction will benefit Bradley Angle as well as other domestic violence programs. I continue to participate in this event because this cause is very important to me, and I hope you will consider bidding on my piece to help raise money for it.
As per my usual M.O., I want to continue to depict an empowered Wonder Woman who takes joy in her life and what she does. I also wanted to do a follow up to my piece last year, which had She-Ra in it. As I noted last year, Wonder Woman and She-Ra seem to contain some analogues in their Rogues Gallery, and I couldn't resist taking a crack at another pairing. I also love to put out more images of Wonder Woman and She-Ra working together, as opposed to fighting each other. Right now, the Wonder Woman comic book is being written by J. Michael Straczynski, who also wrote many episodes of the She-Ra: Princess of Power cartoon series by Filmation, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2010. I definitely wanted to do another piece with She-Ra to help contribute to the passing of that occasion.
Wonder Woman's designed changed a little from last year's piece. I wanted to simplify her outfit just a tad to make her more similar to the level of She-Ra's design, so I opted to leave off the diagonal side seams on her boustier. I also went with a more Lynda Carter-esque design on the boots, as opposed to the early Terry Dodson "w" shaped top cut to the boots. In addition, I rounded the edges of her bracelets. She-Ra's bracelets were also smoothed a little on the cuffs, and I added the raised circlet on the center of her choker that the Masters of the Universe Classics She-Ra figure by Mattel had.
Circe's design was a combination of the way she appeared as Terry Dodson drew her in the Heinberg-written issues of Wonder Woman, as well as the DC Direct action figure based on Dodson's designs. Shadow Weaver remained largely true to her Filmation depiction, but I wanted to "fancy" her up just a bit to bring her closer to the level of detail and design that the other characters in the piece had. I gave her a corset , still in red, but in a deeper red than her dress she wears, and gave it a shinier texture. In some early artwork of Shadow Weaver, her belt was a gold or yellow, so I went with that interpretation of her belt and added a row of spikes to it as an homage to a custom Shadow Weaver figure that I own made by Scott Falappi. I also depicted her with the wand that she used in the second season She-Ra episode, "The Caregiver."
Because Circe and Shadow Weaver are both very formidable and dark opponents in each of their respective franchises, I wanted to set the piece in a more dangerous setting, and Shadow Weaver's Horror Hall base, set on top of a volcano, was just the ticket. In preparing for this piece, I did a lot of research on Horror Hall and looked at shots of all the incredibly beautiful backgrounds used in the cartoon series. I also looked at different elements and creatures who were associated with Shadow Weaver in the series, such as her vulture, Syrax, her servants, her bird-like spy, and vermin that lived in the tunnels of Horror Hall. Ultimately, I didn't feel like they would contribute to the composition of the piece, and I wanted to refrain from doing "too much." I opted to depict the main "hall" and what looks to be Shadow Weaver's library, which seemed to be used the most, while taking elements from the background paintings made for the series, as well as adding several "easter eggs" for fans of the Princess of Power show and original Mattel toyline.
For sale as T-shirts, Skirts, Hoodies, Kids' & Babies' Clothes, Posters, Throw Pillows, Tote Bags, Studio Pouches, Mugs, Travel Mugs, Photographic Prints, Art Prints, Framed Prints, Canvas Prints, Metal Prints, Greeting Cards, Laptop Skins and more! Please use the "Contact Me" form at the top-left of this page to request and inquire about pricing and size options.
Click on the picture to see a full-sized image:
Transformation At Horror Hall
11.5 x 8 inches Bristol Board.
Pencil, ink, & Prismacolor pencil.
Wonder Woman and Circe ©DC Comics 2010
She-Ra ©Mattel 2010
Shadow Weaver ©Classic Media 2010
Wonder Spin: Bronze Age Artcard by Kevenn T. Smith
My Wonder Woman work seems to be the most popular with people who know of my art, and since I haven't had a Wonder Woman artcard available for a while, I thought it was time to put a new one out there. Usually, when I draw Wonder Woman, I depict the Modern Age version. I'm a big fan of the costume the way Terry Dodson re-designed it, so that's why that look is usually my go-to version of the costume. However, for this artcard, I felt it was time to do something different, and that's why I ended up going with the Bronze Age Wonder Woman when she still had the eagle instead of the later double "w" symbol.
And what could be a more fun way of depicting Bronze Age Wonder Woman than in a Lynda Carter inspired Wonder Spin? Another way that I like to depict Wonder Woman, is smiling. I like the idea of a Wonder Woman who loves life and enjoys what she does. My ideal Wonder Woman is happy.
This artcard and all the other artcards I’ve done are all original hand-made works and can be purchased or $15 plus shipping ($4.95 USPS Priority Shipping – international shipping will be calculated upon an individual order).
4.25 x 5.5 inches cardstock.
Pencil, ink, Prismacolor pencil, Prismacolor marker.
Wonder Woman ©DC Comics 2011
Built Like An Amazon: Artemis of Bana Mighdall Artcard by Kevenn T. Smith
This artcard showcases Artemis of Bana Mighdall in her Requiem costume that seems to have made a comeback in DC Comics' recent publications. Artemis is from the Middle Eastern tribe of Amazons from the hidden city of Bana Mighdall. At one point, Artemis ended up beating Princess Diana of Themiscyra for the title of Wonder Woman. Artemis served as Wonder Woman for a short time. The Amazon sorceress, Magala, had put a spell on Diana on the behest of Queen Hippolyta that would transfer half of Diana's strength and speed when they were near each other. Artemis' stint as Wonder Woman was short-lived, and she was killed by the villain, The White Magician. However, death cant keep a tough Amazon down, and Artemis ended up clawing her way out of hell and her own grave.
Artemis has proven to be a popular character in the Wonder Woman franchise. She's more headstrong and less compassionate than Diana, but her heart is in the right place. She ended up becoming the leader of the Bana Mighdall Amazons on Themiscyra. Aretmis has just returned to Themiscyra in the Wonder Woman title, and her future roll remains to be seen.
For this piece, I went back to Ed Benes' original drawings of Artemis in the Requiem miniseries, as well as Nicola Scott's take on the costume in the recent Secret Six storyline. In some of Benes' early drawings, he had the green lining at the decolletage make a "w" shape. I like that element to help visually tie Artemis into the Wonder Woman family, and as a former Wonder Woman, I believe she's entitled to wear a "w" symbol - even a simplified one. I left of the skull on her headband because I thought that element was excessively 90's. Instead, I opted to repeat the tripple-arrow "A" symbol that the Requiem costume has on the sternum area. I really liked the seams and the side-lacing that Nicola Scott added to the costume in the Secret Six issues, as well as the kneecap armor she gave the boots. The sword is the special demon killer sword that Artemis ended up having in the Byrne run of Wonder Woman that was also included as an accessory to the Artemis action figure that DC Direct made.
This artcard is available as cards, postcards, and a small matted print at RedBubble.com!
4.25 x 5.5 inches cardstock.
Pencil, ink, and Prismacolor pencil.
Artemis ©DC Comics 2011
Amazing Amazon - A Wonder Woman Art Event
My piece for Wonder Woman Day #4, "Here, Kitty! Kitty!" is being exhibited in the Amazing Amazon exhibit at the Lara Sydney Framing Gallery in Portland, Oregon. It will be available for viewing between October 1 and October 24. On the 25th, it will be available for bidding at the charity auction for Wonder Woman Day #4.
"Here, Kitty, Kitty!" for Wonder Woman Day #4
I'm participating in the Wonder Woman Day IV Charity Auction this year. The auction benefits these Domestic Violence Shelters and hot-lines: Raphael House of Portland, Bradley-Angle House, and Portland Women's Crisis Line. I am very proud to participate in this auction because these are very important causes to me. Please bid, and bid high!
I wanted to do a picture of Wonder Woman being happy and having fun - something that I don't think happens nearly enough in the comic books. I also really wanted to draw She-Ra and Catra, as well as Wonder Woman's enemy, Cheetah. Most pictures I've seen that have Wonder Woman and She-Ra together have them fighting each other. I really don't care for that, because I believe that Wonder Woman and She-Ra would get along really well and enjoy a tremendous sense of camaraderie, and I wanted to show them being friendly and having fun together. I also wanted to play on the fact that they both have well-known enemies with a cat theme.
While I take a lot of my cues for Wonder Woman and Cheetah from the way that Terry Dodson depicted them when he drew the Wonder Woman comic book, I also take a couple of Lynda Carter elements that I sneak in here and there with Wonder Woman. Cheetah also has a few George Perez elements in her design, especially when it comes to her facial markings, which Dodson mostly abandoned.
She-Ra and Catra were really fun to draw. I'm a big fan of Mattel's Masters of the Universe Classics action figure line. It's a melding of various canons of their franchises into one cohesive line. My approach to She-Ra and Catra was along that lines. I wanted to depict them with the familiarity of the Filmation designs of the cartoon that everyone knows and loves these characters from, but also bring in some of the details that the action figures had, whose designs were very different from the cartoon designs. The result give detailed and interesting looks that easily stand up well alongside Wonder Woman and Cheetah.
The background is inspired by the Whispering Woods background paintings that were featured in the She-Ra: Princess of Power cartoon. They are lush, flamboyant and magical looking. As I was planning out the background, I thought it would be fun to have Lookie in it. Lookie was always hiding in the background of the cartoons, and at the end of the episodes, he would reveal his hiding place and explain the episode's moral. Once I decided that Lookie was going to be in it, I wanted to balance the picture, and tried to think of a character in Wonder Woman's lore that could serve as an analogue to Lookie. The two franchises are pretty rife with analogues: Ares/Hordak, Circe/Shadow Weaver, Giganta/Scorpia, Steve Trevor/Bow, Nemesis/Sea Hawk. When it came down to it, I settled on the whimsical and fun Wonder Tot, who is Wonder Woman as a small child in the Silver Age comic book stories. Wonder Tot often had "impossible adventures" right alongside Wonder Woman as an adult and Wonder Woman as a teenager (Wonder Girl), and I thought that the magical nature of the Whispering Woods, and the fact that She-Ra's planet of Etheria was likely in another dimension, would provide a narrative that would allow Wonder Tot.
This illustration is available as prints. Please use the "Contact Me" form at the top-left of this page to request one and inquire further about pricing and sizes.
Here, Kitty, Kitty!
8.5″ x 11″ on Bristol Board
Pencils, Inks and Prismacolor Color Pencils
Wonder Woman, Cheetah and Wonder Tot ©DC Comics 2010
She-Ra, Catra and Lookie ©Mattel 2010
Marla Bea Benefit Comic Book Auction: Wonder Woman & Power Girl
This piece was penciled by Ray Caspio, and I was the inker and colorist. We made this piece for the Marla Bea Benefit Comic Book Auction that begins on Monday, October 12, 2009. All proceeds from the auction will benefit the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics. I lost a very good and dear friend several years ago to breast cancer, so this is a cause that I feel very strongly about and is very close to me. I was very happy and proud to be able to participate in this auction, and I hope that our piece will raise a lot of money to contribute in the fight against breast cancer. Please consider bidding in the auction to support this worthy cause.
Wonder Woman & Power Girl for Marla Bea Benefit8.75″ x 12″ on Bristol Board
Ray Caspio: Pencils
Kevenn T. Smith: Inks, Prismacolor Color Pencils, and Prismacolor Markers
Wonder Woman and Power Girl ©DC Comics 2011
One More For Wonder Woman Day III
Not only did I create my own piece of art for Wonder Woman Day III this year (see below), but Ray Caspio and I collaborated together on another piece like we did last year for Wonder Woman Day II.
This one, based on the ABC TV series starring Lynda Carter, has Private Etta Candy (played by Beatrice Colen) and Yeoman Diana Prince (Lynda Carter, of course), who we wanted to make sure were represented in the auction this year.
This illustration is available as 8 by 10 inch prints for $20 + $8 shipping on regular photo paper or $25 + $8 shipping on metallic photo paper, which I highly recommend for vastly superior quality. Please use the "Contact Me" form at the left to request one and inquire further about other pricing and size options.
Etta Figures it Out?
8.5″ x 11″ on Bristol Board
Ray Caspio: Pencils
Kevenn T. Smith: Inks and Colors (Prismacolor)
Wonder Woman, Diana Prince and Etta Candy ©DC Comics 2011
Art For Mid-Ohio-Con Part 2
Here are more of the artcards that I will be selling at Mid-Ohio-Con this weekend, along with prints of some of the work in my Illustration Gallery:
Superman:
Wonder Woman:
Donna Troy as Wonder Girl:
Supergirl (I wanted to capture the feeling of the aerial ballet in the Supergirl movie starring Helen Slater.):
Green Lantern:
Batgirl:
Nightwing:
Flamebird (based on International Supermodel and D-Listed.com's Hot Slut of the Year 2007, Phoebe Price):