Masks Are Fashion, Masks Are Heroic - Vixen

This is the third posted entry in this PSA illustration series 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 into Black History Month, as Vixen was the first full-time black female member of the Justice League of America. Vixen is not just a superhero, who can access the abilities of ANY animal (speed of a cheetah, proportional strength of an army ant, flight of a condor, regeneration of a Gekko, etc.), but she's also a supermodel. Honestly, though, I feel like she's rarely ever depicted actually LOOKING like a supermodel. I'm here to rectify that. I used Angolan model, Maria Borges, as my inspiration and guide for the features in my rendition of Vixen, because I have no idea if Maria Borges can act, but by golly she has the LOOK. (Seriously, let's put it out into the universe that Ms Borges will even cosplay as Vixen!)

Vixen's power comes from the totem that she wears around her neck. Usually, Vixen is an African woman from the fictional country of Zambesi who has spent a while living in America, but the issue of Truth & Justice that came out in February of 2021 featuring her seems to suggest that she IS American...which has me wondering if they're now using the set-up from the TV show Legends of Tomorrow, where Vixen's grandmother operated as Vixen as well, and the modern-day Vixen, Mari McCabe, was adopted and raised in America? Either way, she's in my Top 5 favorite DC Heroes, and I LOVE her!

"Masks Are Fashion, Masks Are Heroic - Vixen" by Kevenn T. Smith
Pencil, Ink, Photoshop
©2021 Kevenn T. Smith
Vixen ©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

The Sea Fairies Illustration by Kevenn T. Smith

This is an illustration that depicts a moment in L. Frank Baum's 1911 book, The Sea Fairies.  At this point, Baum had written six Oz books and wanted to write other stories.  He wrote The Sea Fairies about a young girl named Trot and her friend, an old peg-legged sailor named Cap'n Bill, visiting the mermaids and exploring the ocean.  Yes, it was decades before Finding Nemo and Disney's Ariel.  The book is mostly travelogue in nature until the last third, when the plot about an underwater villain really kicks into gear.  This image features the mermaid, Merla, swimming with Trot and Cap'n Bill, who have been transformed into merfolk themselves, by the magic of the mermaid sea fairies.

Baum followed The Sea Fairies with Trot and Cap'n Bill's further adventures in Sky Island, which is one of my favorite books by him.  Oz characters Button Bright and Polychrome appear in the book.  However, Baum's readers wanted more Oz, and so he resumed the series.  Trot and Cap'n Bill traveled to Oz in the ninth book of the series, The Scarecrow of Oz, and joined the cast of Oz characters for the following books.  I consider these two "spin-off" books to be essential to Oz reading.

A grayscale edition of this illustration will be featured in the program for 2011's Winkie Convention.  Programs are available for purchase here.  The original colored art piece is debuting framed and matted today (Friday June 3rd) in the Lakewood, Ohio Beck Center for the Arts Student Art Show.  The piece will be on display in the lobby until the end of July.  It is also available for sale.  Contact me for pricing information.  This image is also available as cards, postcards, prints, and posters on RedBubble.com!


8 x 11 inches bristol board.

Pencil, ink, Prismacolor color pencil.

©Kevenn T. Smith 2011

WonderCon 2011 Wrap-Up

I had an amazing time at WonderCon!  I got to meet so many people who were more than nice and see some great talent there.  I'd say it was an absolute success.  Thanks to all who came by the booth and supported us.  I made 3 artcards right before WonderCon, and one of them sold, and I wanted to spotlight them here.  First up is Psyche from Brian Andersen's So Super Duper.  This image is now available as cards, prints and Posters at RedBubble.com!



4.25 x 5.5 inches cardstock.

Pencil, ink, Prismacolor pencil.

©Kevenn T. Smith 2011

Speaking of So Super Duper, I had the opportunity to go by Whatever Comics in the Castro, and issue #11 of So Super Duper with my 10 page back-up story was on display in the front window!  You can't miss the hot pink cover:

Issue #11 of Brian Andersen’s So Super Duper is on sale at the shop at Prism Comics.com and Indy Planet.com!!!  The 10 page back-up story that I wrote and created the artwork for is lettered by Ray Caspio (who also has a pin-up illustration in this issue!).  Just click on the preview thumbnail images below to enlarge them.

All artwork and images ©Kevenn T. Smith 2011

Another artcard I did was of DC Comic's Batwoman.  For this artcard, I wanted to capture some of the "feel" of J.H. Williams III's art in the Batwoman stories that he illustrates.  This image is now 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.


4.25 x 5.5 inches cardstock.

Pencil, ink, Prismacolor pencil.

Batwoman ©DC Comics 2011

The third card that I made before WonderCon was of one of my favorites, She-Ra. I also couldn't resist the chance to illustrate the Whispering Woods backgrounds from the She-Ra cartoon again.



4.25 x 5.5 inches cardstock.

Pencil, ink, Prismacolor pencil, Prismacolor marker.

She-Ra ©Mattel 2011

UPDATE: Brian Andersen wrote about his own experience at WonderCon and mentioned me in the write-up over at Comicbook Queers.com.  Take a look!