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 Monkey's Aunt" by Kevenn T. Smith

One of my mom's favorite all-time celebrities is Annette Funicello. Because of that, we grew up in our house being exposed to Annette movies and music. Hers was the first autobiography I ever read when I was in junior high. I have thought a lot about why my mother gravitated toward Annette (obviously at a young age), and I haven't asked her, but I do suspect a reason or two. Annette Funicello was a kind person with a loving heart and a cheerful disposition. She was often demure and really didn't seem to think she was all that. I think that's what appealed to my mom at a young age and even now. My mother is a kind person with a loving heart and a cheerful disposition. In the Universe, like attracts like. When I think about myself and my own sense of optimism and my endeavors to be kind and cheerful, I truly think it's because of my mother - and in turn Annette.

And so with that, I did this illustration as a present for my mother for her birthday. It's an illustration inspired by the opening sequence of the classic Disney movie, "The Monkey's Uncle." My mother mentioned liking her look in that scene, especially with the blue headband. (Could that also be the origin of my love for headbands too?) In that sequence, Annette's character, Jennifer, is singing on stage at a college party with a little-known band at the time named The Beach Boys. Time and focus being what they are, I wanted to concetrate on just Annette (for mom) in my illustration, but I rendered the background to resemble elements of the set for that sequence with the room colors and party decorations. I also wanted Annette to look happy and singing. The reason that I titled this piece the way I did, was because in the song she sings in this scene, some of the lyrics are: I love the mokey's uncle, and I wish I were the monkey's aunt.

This illustration is now available at my Redbubble store on many products, such as t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, kids' & babies' clothes, dresses, skirts, scarves, prints, posters, cards, stickers, bags, iPad/iPhones cases & skins, Samsung Galaxy cases & skins, buttons, journals, pillows, and many, many more. Click on the picture below to go to the store and browse the many products this illustration appears on.
Pencil, Ink, Photoshop
©Kevenn T. Smith 2020

"The Wizardess' Unknown Voice" by Kevenn T. Smith

I love a deep cut. This new illustration is a pretty deep cut. Honestly, at this point in the Great Rebellion series that I've been working on, nearly everyone left is a deep cut. This illustration features my depiction of "The Wise Old Wizardess."

There were two mini comics that came with some of the vintage She-Ra figures, "Journey to Mizar" and "The Hidden Symbols Mystery." Both of them featured a part where She-Ra needed help from a mysterious and magical woman in the woods. In both stories, the woman was depicted wearing a robe, having no hair, and a halo of light shining from the back of her head. While one was colored all in golden tones and referred to herself as a Seer or the Voice of the Unknown, the other was called The Wise Old Wizardess. She had a purple robe and a double halo of yellow and green light. Neither was depicted as particularly old.

To me, it seemed obvious that these were meant to be the same character. There were enough visual similarities in design and situation, while still accounting for the production situation of the minicomics, which I suspect were farmed out to different illustrators, probably done under a time crunch, then farmed out to different colorists with no time allowing to make sure the depiction of a minor character not included in the style guide was consistent. I would not be surprised if research showed that this character was a progenitor of both Madame Razz and Light Hope. Both were mentor characters to Adora and She-Ra that gave mystical knowledge as well, like this character did. Madame Razz was an ancient female magic user who lived in the woods and wore purple, like the Wise Old Wizardess. Light Hope, in the toy line, was at one point also concieved as a magical woman who lived in the woods (though much younger looking), and in the cartoon was depicted as a halo of colorful lights, much like the halo of colorful lights the Wizardess has. It seems to me to be a distinct possibility.

In wanting to depict this charater, I decided to combine visual elements from both depictions into one and get the greatest amount of "Visual Variety." I combined the design of the belted gown from "The Hidden Symbols Mystery" with the predominant coloring scheme of the design in "Journey to Mizar." I incorporated magical items that were given to She-Ra in the costume(the golden net worn around the waist, which she does in the comic and removes when she gies it to She-Ra) and the staff, where the piece at the end is the enchanted mirror used in one of the stories. In combination, we get the best of both worlds and exciting new story possibilities.

This illustration is available on a plethora of different products at my Red Bubble store, including prints, cards, posters, bags, phone & ipad skins & cases, pillows, t-shirts, hoodies, baby & kids clothes, dresses, scarves, socks, journals, clocks, stickers, bath mats, and many, many more. Click on the picture to go to this piece at my store.


"The Wizardess' Unknown Voice" by Kevenn T. Smith
Pencil, Ink, Photoshop
©Kevenn T. Smith 2020
Character ©Mattel 2020