Masks Are Fashion, Masks Are Heroic - Red Tornado

This is the 31st and final single 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. Although statistically not common, it is still possible to transmit and receive the COVID-19 virus even after being fully vaccinated. Masks greatly help to prevent this spread, especially with the new Omicron Variant popping up throughout the world.

Abigail "Ma" Hunkel operated as the Golden Age (first appearing in 1939) hero, Red Tornado, the first hero to bear that name before an android took on the main face of that moniker. Ma Hunkel began fighting crime by beating up racketeers who she refused to pay protection money to for the grocery store that she owned and operated. When the situation escalated by her daughter and daughter's friend being kidnapped and the police chief was unwilling to investigate, she created the heroic identity of the Red Tornado by pulling together a hode-podge costume of red longjohns, boxer shorts, gloves, a blanket cape, and a pot (with two holes in it through which the eyes could see out of) as a helmet. The burly Red Tornado was often mistaken for a man, but allowed Abigail to rescue the children and fight crime in her local neighborhood and stand up to the corrupt Chief of Police. Later, the Red Tornado joined the Justice Society of America and fought alongside other female members such as Wonder Woman, Liberty Belle, and Phantom Lady. She later fought crime alongside her children who called themselves The Cyclone Kids. While not possessing powers, the Red Tornado does have impressive hand-to-hand combat skills and is also a renown cook. Decades later, Ma Hunkel is the only female member of the Justice Society alive and still working with the JSA. She is the caretaker of the JSA headquarters and museums and the only older looking woman in the DC Universe still operating in the superhero community. (Hippolyta doesn't count because she is always rendered to look not-old) Ma Hunkel's granddaughter, Maxine Hunkel, carries on the heroic legacy by working with the JSA as the heroic Cyclone.

For this look, I wanted to incorporate the various colors of the hodgepodge Golden Age Red Tornado costume into an elegant looked that also has the silhouette of a tornado. Her purse is designed to look like a pot, an homage to the pot that she wore over her head. The Red Tornado symbol appears not only on her glittery mask, but also in glass pieces that adorn her earrings and her chest piece.

Thank you for taking the time to experience this piece.
"Masks Are Fashion, Masks Are Heroic - Red Tornado" by Kevenn T. Smith
Pencil, Ink, Photoshop
©2021 Kevenn T. Smith
Red Tornado ©DC Comics

Masks Are Fashion, Masks Are Heroic - Power Girl

This is the 14th 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.

Power Girl is not a household name superhero, but when I tell you about her, you'll feel like you already know her. Power Girl is Kara Zor-L, the "Supergirl" of Earth-2. Remember how Supergirl's rocket arrived later than Superman's by mistake? Well Power Girl's arrived even later, and I guess something didn't go 100% with the suspended animation, because she arrived pretty grown and also *gasp* had ideas of her own. She refused to be defined by Superman, so instead of calling herself Supergirl and wearing his symbol, she called herself Power Girl and left her chest devoid of the S-shield. In her civilian identity as Karen Starr (Yes, a white woman named Karen with short hair - she was created in the 70's. It's not her fault.), she owns her own tech company. As Power Girl, she basically has all of the same powers as Superman. Operating on Earth-2, she was a member of the Justice Society of America (JSA), and was a close friend of the daughter of Batman & Catwoman, the Huntress. Whether on Earth-2 or Earth-1, Power Girl is always a force to be reckoned with.

I really enjoyed working on this design. Originally, I was going to give her a sleevelesss look with a turtle-neck, but I had also been wanting to do a asymmetrical shoulder look for this series, and when I realized that would mimick the line of the rope that her cape is attached to that cuts across her chest on her superhero costume, it seemed like the perfect choice. I also was inspired by the loincloth style skirt that she wore in her appearance as Power Woman in the Kingdom Come series by Mark Waid and Alex Ross. I also really like her haircut, because I think it's sexy and youthful while being much shorter than how I've depicted Power Girl in my artwork in the past. I think it suits her perfectly. The charms on her bracelet also contain some "Easter Eggs," like an Earth-2 Superman symbol, and Aquaman symbol alluding to her Post-Crisis origin as the grand-daughter of ancient Atlantian sorceror, Arion, and a Harley Quinn diamond because Amanda Connor & Jimmy Palmiotti wrote & drew a wonderful Power Girl series and they also have had her interact with Harley Quinn as a friend during their handling of Harley's stories. Also, since working on my Supergirl design and realizing during that work that the color pink is almost NEVER used on DC Heroines, I couldn't pass up the chance to turn what is traditionally red on her costume into a magenta and bring in the pink to a really fun eye makeup look.

Thank you for taking the time to experience this piece.
"Masks Are Fashion, Masks Are Heroic - Power Girl" by Kevenn T. Smith
Pencil, Ink, Photoshop
©2021 Kevenn T. Smith
Power Girl ©DC Comics 

DC Comics Villainesses 2007

After completing the DC Comics Heroines 2007 piece, my goal was to create a companion piece for it that would contrast it with a showcase of DC Comics' various villainesses.

Once again, my goal was to depict iconic representations of the characters that would give an idea of who these characters were, just from looking at them, as well as rendering them in the styles of my favorite artists who have depicted them.  Some of those artists include Terry Dodson, Jim Balent, Nicola Scott, Matthew Clark, Lee Moder, Dustin Nguyen, George Perez, Joe Bennet, J.G. Jones, Dale Eaglesham, Jesus Saiz, Patrick Olliffe, H.G. Peter, Mark Buckingham, Ed Benes, Adam Kubert, Drew Johnson, Ethan Van Sciver, Joe Benitez, Phil Jimenez, Gary Frank, Tom Raney, Graham Nolan, John Byrne, and Don Kramer. Some of the characters have only appeared in animated DC projects, but I did not feel that the animated style would work well with the others styles present in this piece, so I rendered them in my own style instead.

What follows is a numbered version of the piece, and below that is the key to the names of the numbered characters, as well as the superhero/heroine or group they are the most common adversary to or affiliated with:

01. Silver Banshee (Superman/Supergirl);  02. Ursa (Superman);
03. Phobia (Teen Titans/Manhunter);  04. Mercy Graves (Superman);
05. Livewire (Superman);  06. Rampage (Superman/Supergirl);
07. Magenta (Flash); 08. Terra (Teen Titans);
09. Shimmer (Teen Titans/Outsiders);
10. The New Ventriloquist & Scarface (Batman);
11. Siren (Titans/Tempest); 12. Knockout (Secret Six);
13. Jinx (Teen Titans/Wonder Woman); 14. Scandal Savage (Secret Six);
15. Gundra the Valkyrie (Wonder Woman); 16. Silver Swan (Wonder Woman);
17. Medusa (Wonder Woman); 18. Dr. Veronica Cale (Wonder Woman/52);
19. Giganta (Wonder Woman); 20. Dark Angel (Donna Troy/Wonder Woman);
21. Queen Clea (Wonder Woman); 22. Dr. Poison (Wonder Woman);
23. Osira (Wonder Woman); 24. Dr. Cyber (Wonder Woman);
25. Devastation (Wonder Girl/Wonder Woman); 26. Circe (Wonder Woman);
27. Cheshire Jade (Titans; Secret Six); 28. Superwoman (JLA);
29. Catwoman (Batman); 30. Blue Lama (Sargon the Sorcerer);
31. Volcana (Superman); 32. Scorch (Martian Manhunter);
33. Blackfire (Starfire/Titans); 34. Morella (Catwoman);
35. Golden Age Catwoman (Batman); 36. Cyber Cat (Catwoman);
37. Golden Age Cheetah, Priscilla Rich (Wonder Woman);
38. Baroness Paula Von Gunther (Wonder Woman);
39. Cheetah, Dr. Barbara Minerva (Wonder Woman);
40. Granny Goodness (Female Furies);  41. Tala (Phantom Stranger);
42. Lashina (Female Furies);  43. Morgana LeFay (Demon Etrigan);
44. Bernadeath (Female Furies);  45. Fatality (Green Lantern);
46. Star Sapphire (Green Lantern);  47. Lady Styx (Capt. Comet);
48. Roulette (JSA); 49. Chain Lightning (Mary Marvel);
50. Eclipso, Jean Loring (Mary Marvel, JLA); 51. Shiv (Stargirl/JSA);
52. Hummingbird (Hawkman/Hawkgirl); 53. Mad Harriet (Female Furies);
54. Satanna (Hawkman/Hawkgirl); 55. Killer Frost (Firestorm);
56. Stompa (Female Furies); 57. Plastique (Suicide Squad);
58. Queen Bee (JLA);  59. Tigress (JSA/Hawkgirl); 60. New Wave (Outsiders);
61. Lady Lunar (Superman);  62. Jewelee (Suicide Squad); 63. Linx (Robin);
64. Amanda Waller (Suicide Squad);  65. Lady Vic (Nightwing);
66. Alley Cat (Catwoman);  67. Sickle (Teen Titans/Catwoman);
68. Harley Quinn (Batman);  69. Lady Shiva (Batman);
70. Roxy Rocket (Batman);  71. Poison Ivy (Batman);
72. Spy Smasher (Birds of Prey); 73. Velvet Tiger (Batgirl); 74. Orca (Batman);
75. Spellbinder III (Batman);  76. Talia al Ghul (Batman)

©DC Comics 2011

DC Villainesses 2007 ©Kevenn T. Smith 201116" x 20"
Pencil, Ink, Prismacolor Pencil, Photoshop

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.