Supergirl 1982 Style Guides By Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez

A couple of years ago at the Baltimore Comic Con, I had the honor of meeting comic legend Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez. I had him sign some Supergirl relevant issues and basically stammered through telling him how great I think his art is.

Recently I stumbled across his DC Style Guide pages over at the Comic Art Community website. Here is the link: http://comicartcommunity.com/gallery/categories.php?cat_id=247 I assume the guide was used for other artists to see the composition of costumes, the character in a variety of poses, etc. Among the many pages were plenty of Supergirl images.

I had seen the above pic many times in other place, the perfect montage of the 'head band' costume.

Here is a sort of 360 view of the same character showing Supergirl in all her glory. I have to say, while the headband variation isn't one of my favorites, I do miss the red skirt look for Supergirl.

And here is an action sheet showing graceful flying and her wicked right hook.

I don't know if these pencil pages were included in the guide itself but here is more Garcia-Lopez action spots of Kara in the head band costume. Just solid composition there.

These are all marked from 1983, no surprise given the head band costume was initiated then.

Research makes it seem like the style guide actually was put together in 1982 so the head band Supergirl pages must have been additions/revisions to later versions.

I was thrilled to see Garcia-Lopez' Supergirl style guide page from 1982 showcasing the 'hot pants' costume. You can see that the basics of the page composition are the same as the head band version. Except there is something warmer about the position of the main center Supergirl. I think the smile seems broader and friendlier. Fantastic.

If anyone has this in color, please get it to me somehow so I can post!

And just in case you wanted to know the color composition of all the DC costumes, the style guide came with a chart. There is Supergirl in the middle row.

DC fans should definitely go to the Garcia-Lopez link above as he has great style guide pages for plenty of heroes and even some villains.

One Last Baltimore Comic-Con Post: Jamal Igle's Superwoman

I know the Baltimore Comic-Con was almost a month ago, but I had to sneak one more post about it in.

A good friend who went to the con with me got this sweet Superwoman commission from Jamal Igle. I saw a number of the commissions Jamal worked on there and was impressed with all of them. I love the coloring and shading here as well as Lucy's devious expression. Slick.

On a semi-related note, Adrian Syaf was just named the artist on Birds of Prey meaning Igle is not on that title as rumored before. Hmmmm ... maybe we are lucky and he isn't going anywhere after all.

Baltimore Comic-Con: Adam Hughes Commission And Other Tid-Bits

Well, I went to the Baltimore Comic-Con with a list of commissions I wanted to get, comics I wanted to get autographed, and questions for some creators I was hoping to get answered. I think I did quite well with all of those hopes. But one thing I never expected to get was an Adam Hughes' commission even if it was a quick head sketch. It is unreal how much grace he can convey here.

Hughes runs a tight ship with certain times blocked out for issue signings and head sketches. I was first in line for his last session of the con, and got in line at 3PM for the start time of 4PM. While in line I watched him finish a Jean Grey Phoenix commission that was fantastic. Earlier in the day, while walking by his booth, I watched him finishing a Supergirl commission that was eye-popping. In fact, Hughes' booth always has a crowd around it, people just soaking in his ability as he works his way through his commission list.

This quick sketch cost me a $20 donation to an English Sheepdog rescue charity (there is a minimum $5 donation but I threw in the extra because I was pretty pumped). I thought that was a nice thingfor Hughes to do. I still might try one day to get a 'real' commission from him.

Supergirl and the LSH #23 autographed by Mark Waid, Barry Kitson, and Adam Hughes

I was also happy to get this issue signed by Hughes as well as Mark Waid and Barry Kitson. That Supergirl cover is just iconic.

As for some other tidbits ...

It was sort of crest-fallen to find out that Amanda Conner was not doing any commissions in Baltimore. I was so hoping to get something from her. She shared a booth with her husband Jimmy Palmiotti and that booth had to be one of the busiest ones at the con. There was always ... I mean ALWAYS ... a line to get up to them for some face time. As a result, there was also a little bit of pressure to 'keep the line moving' so I didn't have much time to chat with either of them. One thing I did find out is that Conner is using the cover of Supergirl's first appearance in Action Comics #252 as the template for the DC 75th Variant cover of Supergirl # 58. It is a safe choice for the variant and I am interested to see her take on it.

I also was able to ask J.G. Jones what emotion he was trying to invoke with this cover of Final Crisis #3 which you may recall was vilified by some as showing an overly sexualized or stupid Supergirl. You may I also recall that I loved the cover thinking it showed some fear on Supergirl's face, the finger to the mouth an homage to Jim Mooney.

Jones was surprised by the reaction to the cover. He tried to paint what he thought Supergirl would look like if she saw Darkseid 'falling through the universe' on the horizon ... a mix of shock and fear.

Supergirl Movie Adaptation autographed by cover artist Jose Luis Garcia Lopez

I made my pitch to Frank Cho for a 'quick sketch' ... a $50 dollar donation to the HERO initiative for a five minute commission. Alas, and not surprisingly, he said no. I will keep asking every time I see him though.

Lastly, I was able to ask Marv Wolfman if he was surprised that the cover of Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 has become the image of Crisis. He admitted 'yes' but quickly added that it is a great cover, a great image.

But the best part of this convention was being able to meet and talk all things Supergirl with Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle.

So overall, it was a tremendous experience at the Baltimore Comic-Con, one I hope to enjoy again some day.

Baltimore Comic-Con: Shane Davis Commission

I have always been very impressed with Shane Davis' art wherever I have seen it. Whether it be covers on Countdown or Green Lantern, internal pages on JLA, or the terrifically horrific Final Crisis:Rage of the Red Lanterns. While Amanda Conner, Jamal Igle, and Terry Moore were my primary commission targets, Davis was definitely high on my list if those others didn't pan out.

When I learned that Amanda Conner would not be doing any commissions at the convention  (I'll post a little about that soon), I needed to decide on a back-up and pretty quickly. Commission lists fill up almost instantly at Baltimore. Luckily there was still some space on Davis' list!

I really love this commission. Davis' stuff is so slick. I always specify the costume I want but I rarely ask for a specific pose, figuring that the artist will be struck by the muse or put her in what he thinks is her 'ultimate pose'. As a result, I have lots of  commissions of angelic Supergirls floating in the clouds. So to get this lean, mean, stern looking Supergirl is refreshing. She looks like she's about to backhand someone who is irritating her.

 It certainly is a different look than the smiling Supergirl we saw on the cover of Supergirl #54. I look forward to seeing Davis' art on Superman:Earth-One and wouldn't mind seeing him drawing Supergirl again at some point.

Baltimore Comic-Con: Terry Moore Commission

Before the Baltimore Comic-Con, I was looking over the artists in attendance and trying to come up with my primary target for commissions. The short list was Terry Moore, Amanda Conner, and Jamal Igle.

It is always tricky to line up commissions at a big convention like this. It is a matter of not only preference, but also cost, ability to get on the artist's list early, and the artist's commission schedule.

For example, there are some artists that don't go in order down their commission list. They cherry pick the commission requests that interest them. I don't begrudge them at all. But it is hard to put money 'on hold' for a commission that might never come to fruition. Also, some artist's lists fill within the first 5 minutes of a convention. Will I be able to get there in time ... where is my position in the entry line ... becomes crucial.

But as always, it is whether I not I like the artist's work that is the ultimate hurdle. I love Terry Moore's art so I was thrilled when I was first on his commission list and doubly thrilled when I was told he loves to draw Supergirl. I was pretty eager to get the commission in my hands and so probably swung by Moore's table to check progress to often. Another thing I have learned about commissions is to never linger. Let the artist take their time, you'll get a better product. I think I violated that rule. My apologies to Mr. Moore if I was something of a nuisance.

The bottom line is I got an absolutely great and original commission for my collection. I have plenty of commissions of Supergirl flying/floating in the clouds or striking a heroic pose. This one is just so fresh ... a young happy Supergirl surfing a meteorite while she sips a Dr. Pepper. She is unbelievably cute. This definitely a Moore piece. You recognize his style immediately.

So the Terry Moore Supergirl commission is spectacular. The Jamal Igle Linda Lang commission is phenomenal. I have a couple more commissions to show which are also great. This con was definitely a productive one for my commission collection.

Baltimore Comic-Con: Discussion With Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle

Supergirl #50 autographed by Sterling Gates, Jamal Igle, and Cliff Chiang

One of the coolest parts of the con was being able to talk to Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle at length about Supergirl, both the character and the title.

I did my best to remember not only what I was supposed to ask but also the questions that some of you posed here. Unfortunately, some of the fanboy in me bubbled to the surface so I may have forgotten some.

I tried to organize the information I got at the con into topics. The information comes from the DC Nation panel, DC Sunday conversation, and my discussions with the creators.

1) Jamal on art: Jamal is currently scheduled to pencil Supergirl #59. There was no official word on who is art duty on Supergirl #60.

2) Proud moments: Sterling was extremely proud of Supergirl #47, feeling the complex nature of Alura coupled with her outpouring of emotion and regret in that is issue was powerful, therefore one of his favorites on the title. He added that he could rattle of a long list of other favorites, citing Zor-El's death (Supergirl #36) and Supergirl's 'Closet of Solitude' (Supergirl #54) as two other examples.

Jamal's favorite moment was also the death of Zor-El scene.

3) Alura’s death: Alura’s death scene in War of the Supermen was initially going to be longer with more dialogue. But in the end, it was decided to be abrupt and without heavy prose, a contrast to the Zor-El death scene.

4) Cutting room floor: There were a few other ideas for scenes in War of the Supermen that didn’t make the final cut. There was going to be a true Reactron origin story, fleshing out his backstory just before his death. Another idea that was floated around involved Supergirl fighting Doomsday through the streets of Metropolis, but that was nixed early.

5)BizarroGirl storyline: Supergirl #57 is being drawn by Bernard Chang and concludes the BizarroGirl storyline. This includes an appearance by the Bizarro Justice League.

The thematic idea of BizarroGirl being a dark reflection of Supergirl is played up in the conclusion as recent events in Kara’s life are played out imperfectly on Bizarro world. This helps Kara come to grips with her own issues.

Jamal slipped a Bizarro Sterling Gates into Supergirl #56. The Bizarro Sterling sees Supergirl and says ‘she am so ugly’.

6) Supergirl Annual #2: The story establishes Supergirl’s relationship with Brainiac 5 and shows how and why he comes to care for her so much. For fans of this relationship, this book sounds like it is going to be great. When I mentioned the concern over Brainy's comment about Supergirl's death in Supergirl #52, Sterling reminded me that Brainiac 5 is from a thousand years in the future and would know more than us about not only what would happen to Kara but when it would happen.

There will be several ‘Easter eggs’ in the Annual, homages to Silver Age Supergirl/Legion stories. I can’t wait to go hunting.

The decision on whether Supergirl (and even Superboy) will be recurring characters in the Legion book is up to Paul Levitz and the Legion creative team. It is hard to know how that would impact a potential ongoing Supergirl/Brainiac 5 romance.

7) Future: Supergirl #58 and #59 will be the much-anticipated Cat Grant/Toyman storyline that has been building for some time. That story includes a new villain as well.

I have to say it was pretty cool to be able to talk to the current creative team of Supergirl for so long and to hear their passion for the character.

Baltimore Comic-Con: Jamal Igle Commission

Well, I had an absolutely fabulous time at the Baltimore Comic-Con over the weekend. It was 2 days stuffed with all things comics. In fact, I was so busy meeting and chatting with the creators that I really didn't shop for comics all that much. I have a lot of things to talk about ... my conversations with Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle, other Supergirl related questions I asked folks, commissions, and news. I am trying to organize my thoughts as well as finish my reviews of comics from last week.

I thought the best way to start my reports was to post this Linda Lang commission by Jamal Igle. Prior to this, my commission collection has been strictly 'Supergirl in the Matrix costume'. But with the rumored news of Jamal Igle leaving the title and with my unabashed love of the title over the last two years, I really wanted to get something from Igle that would be a celebration of his run on the book.

I love this commission, Linda adopting the classic 'costume reveal' pose. The addition of Linda was a key part of the change in the title and I love the 'look' that Igle created for her. This commission including the coy smile on her face captures all that. I thanked Jamal profusely but I'll do it again. Thanks for this great piece.

I will post the rest of the news soon I promise ... I am trying to organize my scribbles of notes and memories.

Baltimore Comic-Con

Well, the best laid plans ...

My laptop crashed so I had no way to blog live.

And I just got in after a long travel day.

Posts will restart tomorrow including lots of Baltimore info and commissions. It was a great time and great to meet Sterling and Jamal.

But right now it's time for bed.

Baltimore Comic-Con Wishes

Well, a week from now I will be standing in line to get into the Baltimore Comic-Con. I cannot tell you how pumped I am to be heading there. This is one of those conventions where I don't even know if I will be looking at the dealers. There are so many creators to rub elbows with.

I have posted about the primary targets I have for commissions as well as questions I hope to pose to some of the creators there.

Now I figured I would post some of the things I wish will happen although they are highly unlikely. May as well have a game plan just in case.

1) A third Jamal Igle commission:

I have never met Jamal Igle but I already have 2 commissions by him, both obtained when friends of mine went to conventions he was attending. They are both Supergirl in the Matrix style costume I prefer, although one appears older and sterner than the one posted above.

I actually am hoping to get a Linda Lang commission from him figuring that is both unique to my collection and sort of a celebration of the current run of the book.

The best scenario would be that one of the other commissions I obtain finishes relatively early so that I can give Igle one of my sketch books late Saturday or first thing Sunday.

Of all the wishes, this one probable will happen.

2) A Frank Cho commission:

This is highly unlikely as I don't think Cho does commissions. I really love his work and getting anything from him would be a coup.

I am trying to think of ways to get something ... even if it is a '3 minute sketch'. Maybe by donating to the HERO initiative or the CBLDF in his name?

This is a pipe dream ... I know.

3) A Matt Wagner commission:

I love Wagner's classical look in his art. I loved Mage. I loved Trinity. I loved his writing in Sandman Mystery Theater and Madame Xanadu. I think he is a legend in the field.

I have no idea of Wagner does commissions but at the very least it will be extremely cool to meet him.

So those are the wishes. The con is a week away and I hope to do some live blogging there!

Baltimore Comic Con: Questions for Creators

I'm approaching crunch time for the trip to the Baltimore Comic Con. With my 2 main targets for commissions decided (Amanda Conner and Terry Moore), I am now starting to look at the list of creators that are going to be there to see if there are any questions that I can ask should the moment allow.

Here are some early thoughts.

Sterling Gates/Jamal Igle:

I know I shouldn't necessarily lump them together but I really feel like they have been a creative team on the Supergirl book and with the character. Of all the guests, I hope to hobnob with them the most. So some questions I hope to have the time to ask:

1) First off, is Jamal leaving the book as has been rumored.

2) They have been on the book for 20 issues now! What moments are they most proud of? How do they think the character has grown over their time?

3) They have played with some big names in the DCU - Lana, Jimmy, Lucy, Alura, Cat? Who is their favorite to write and draw?

4) What about some hints for the future? Romance? Brainy as a recurring character? College? 75th Anniversary variant?

I'm sure more will come to me. But anything you guys want me to add?

James Robinson

While I didn't think Kara was written in a compelling manner in Cry For Justice, I have been much happier with her characterization by Robinson in both War of the Supermen and Justice League.

1) What attracted him to Supergirl as a character that he included here JLA and Cry For Justice?

2) While we have heard a lot about the brother/sister World's Finest feel of her relationship with Dick, will she interact with other members on the team closely? What does he think her relationship with Donna would be like?

3) Does he have any hints about her future on the title? Will she be the star in any upcoming story the way Jade is currently?

Jimmy Palmiotti/Amanda Conner

Palmiotti has written two recent mini-series with Supergirl in Superman/Supergirl:Maelstrom and Wednesday Comics, each with a very different interpretations of her character, which was very different than the version he wrote way back in Supergirl  #12. Conner drew the most adorable Kara this side of Eric Jones in Cosmic Adventures with a nice dollop of the super-pets on the side.

1) Given that Palmiotti has written these variations of Supergirl (including Power Girl), is he fond of her as a character?

2) The Supergirl in Wednesday Comics was over the top emotional, wearing her heart on her sleeve. The Maelstrom Kara was the opposite, keeping her emotions hidden and acting tough. DoesPalmiotti have an 'ideal' Supergirl in his mind, or does he find her more malleable than other characters.

3) The art in the Supergirl strip in Wednesday Comics was so perfect, showcasing Supergirl as a character and playing to Amanda Conner's strengths. Did she have as much fun drawing that strip that I did reading it? What was it like doing the art in such a big format?

Geoff Johns

Johns is only there on Sunday and I am sure will be swamped. But I would love to ask him some stuff about his Superman work (while the rest of the world probably wants to talk Blackest Night and Green Lantern).

1) Johns has really worked a number of Silver Age elements back into the Supergirl mythos, including Supergirl having loving parents and living on an intact Argo City. He also updated those as well. Was he given carte blanche? Anything he would still like to bring back? Any creators or Silver Age stories of Superman that he really loves?

2) He has folded in Donner movie references and maybe even some Animated Superman in Secret Origin. Has it been hard trying to make THE Superman origin, making an amalgam of all the genres?

3) He also started the rehabilitation of Supergirl in Brainiac, right around when Gates took over her title. What does he think of her as a character?

Again, I doubt I'll even be able to get to Johns, as I anticipate the line will be around the world to meet him.

Those would be the main questions, but if time permits ...

J.G. Jones

There was a bit of an internet kerfuffle when this cover for Final Crisis came out. Some (like me) thought it conveyed Supergirl's innocence, her expression an homage to the Silver Age Supergirl who did that all the time. Others thought it was salacious and provocative.

I'd love to ask him what he intended to evoke from the reader with that cover.

Marv Wolfman

I don't know what I would ask Marv Wolfman ... other than 'why?'

Is it wrong that I might bring Crisis #7 to him to autograph?

Anyways, if I am lucky enough to get any answers to these questions, I promise I will report them back here.

Baltimore Comic-Con Commission List #1

Well, in 20 short days I'll be winging my way to Baltimore to take in the 2 day Baltimore Comic Con.

While the Boston Comic-Con has grown over the last couple of years, this is the biggest con I will have ever attended. Here is the link to the convention's website: http://www.comicon.com/baltimore/

The guest list is insane. There are lots of people who I want to meet, talk to, and grab signatures from. But, as always, there are also artists who I am hoping to get a commission from. I could rattle off a long list of names who I would love to get a piece from but I have found it is always best to make a game plan ... a top tier of artists that are your main targets. Anything obtained afterwards is gravy. At some point, if people are interested, I could get into finer detail of how I pick my commission targets, etc.

So here are the two top targets for commissions in Baltimore: Amanda Conner and Terry Moore.

I tried to get on her list back in 2007 back when she had just done the Power Girl arc in JSA:Classified. Unfortunately, I tried to get on her list at some point on the second day when she was done taking new names.

I have always been enamored of her style and think she would do a great Supergirl commission.

But after seeing her work on Supergirl in Wednesday Comics (and subsequently her absolutely stellar work on Power Girl), I really think I *need* a commission from her. So I am definitely making a bee-line to her table first.

As for Moore, I have to admit I have never read Strangers In Paradise, the book he is most noted for. You know when you feel there is just a gap in your comic knowledge? I felt like I had one with Moore, someone who I had heard great things about but had never read.

So when Echo came out a couple of years ago, I picked it up. I have to say I have loved the book. And Moore's art is wonderful. I am very curious to see just how great a Supergirl by him would be. So he'll be next on the list.

So those are the top two targets. Hopefully I'll get on their lists within the first 20 minutes of the con so I can relax thereafter. However, you always need a back up list, so I'll probably post some thoughts on that next week. I'll also post about the creators I am most interested in meeting and some questions I hope to ask.

Baltimore ... Here I Come!

With the fervor of San Diego Comic Con in the rear view mirror, I thought I would let you know about my all small convention news.

I will be attending the Baltimore Comic Con on August 28th and 29th. I have to say I am pretty pumped to be heading there. The guest list looks absolutely amazing. Here is a link to the main site: http://comicon.com/baltimore/

I am sure that as the date comes closer, I will be posting more about my specific plans ... commissions to try to get, signatures to procure, etc. The plan will be to blog throughout the days there ... giving a sort of play-by-play of the convention.

For me, the big news is Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle are both going to be there; I hope to be able to meet and chat with them about the title. James Robinson is also attending so I hope to run into him as well. Hopefully time will permit some discussion about Supergirl.

There are a lot of other creators I am going to hope to talk to including Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner, Marv Wolfman, Ron Marz, and (if I am lucky) Geoff Johns.

As the dates get closer I'll post more about my plans and strategies!

Baltimore Comic-Con Wrap-Up

I was again unable to attend the Baltimore Comic-Con this year. Octobers tend to be a busy time for me here. Escaping for a weekend is nearly impossible. Luckily, a number of the usual comics sites did a good job detailing some of the info heard and seen there. Comic Book Resources posted the best review of the DC Nation panel that happened there. Here is the link:

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=23268

Here is the more Supergirl relevant stuff. (And sorry about the spacing. Something isn't acting right in the text window here.)

Igle divulged some details about his upcoming Supergirl storyline with writer Sterling Gates. "I finished Supergirl #46 which is the last part of the 'Hunt for Reactron.'" he said. "They found him! More on the other end, he found them and it's not good. It's not a good situation. We've got that going on. We've got action which is going on in Supergirl #46 and some messed up crap is going to happen."

Not much new being reported here other than the fact that this battle could get ugly. I wonder if one of the Metropolis 3 is going to suffer during this battle.

The last few issues have had Igle doing some bigger splashier battle pages so to hear him say ther will be a lot of 'messed up' action in Supergirl #46 makes me excited to see what is in store. Of anyone, Reactron has the ability to really hurt Kryptonians. But I also wonder if Supergirl will witness some manifestation of the Flamebird or Nightwing entities.

"We're pushing the super books really hard now," said Sattler. "This is something that I started talking about way back when Geoff came onto Action Comics. This isn't going back in six months. This isn't a temporary thing. We're kind of at the hal;fway point. This is a big story we've got. It's not an event, it's just a bunch of books working together to tell a huge story. James Robinson and Greg Rucka have done a great job with Flamebird and Nightwing and the Guardian and Mon-El and giving everyone a different taste of what Superman can be like and what the universe can be like. We keep saying, it keeps building. If you look, we went from a bottle to a planet at the halfway, so imagine how much more we have to do with that story."

Well I wondered in my review of World of New Krypton #8 where we were in the big story and now we have an answer. Ian Sattler states that we are at the 'halfway point' of the overall story. Thatmeans we are looking at least until next summer before the resolution of the New Krypton storyline. We have to be looking at an Earth/New Krypton war as next year's mega-event.

I like that Sattler at least talked up the Superman books. While he says that the books are building to something, I still think it was very risky for DC to decide to keep Superman out of his own books for a year. I could easily see some fans jumping off Action Comics and Superman and only buying WONK and Secret Origin.

Igle then continued:

"On a personal note for me, I'm going to be taking a few months of Supergirl off, I'm going to be off from #47 to #49 and then come back for #50. In between I'm going to be doing World's Finest #3 which is the first team-up between Supergirl and Stephanie Brown, the new Batgirl." The issue will also be written by Supergirl writer Sterling Gates.

I keep waiting to hear more about Supergirl #50. Is it double-sized? Will there be a new costume? Does it mark the return of Superwoman?

While I am glad to hear Jamal Igle will be back with #50 and will be doing the Supergirl issue of World's Finest, I will miss seeing his interiors on the main book for those three months.

One thing I was happy to hear is that next year's Baltimore Comic-Con will be in August making it much easier for me to try to make it there. My friend went again this year and said it was a lot of fun.

Brian Stelfreeze Commission and Sketch Book

One of my favorite artists in the business is Brian Stelfreeze.



I began admiring his work on his long run of painted covers on The Shadow of the Bat title in the 90's. I also felt his covers nicely captured the moody feelings of Peter David's Fallen Angel series when it was published by DC.

And his interiors are just as dynamic as seen in the over the top 'Kill Bill' style action in Gun Candy and The Ride.

Outside of the absolute kinetic feel of his panels and his uncanny ability to know which panel perspective best captures the moment, I have always felt his women are strong, beautiful, and sexy. Best of all, he is able to capture that without pandering to impossibly curvaceous anatomy. His women seem naturally beautiful.

So last year at the Baltimore Comic-con, he was at the top of my list for a Supergirl commission and I was able to obtain the wonderful piece at the top of the post, playfully titled by me 'Come Hither'. I have to say I saw him produce some great commissions throughout the day including a phenomenal Fallen Angel piece. Just as impressive was how approachable he was by neophyte artists who wanted to show him their work. I saw him take the time to look at their work and, in the most supportive way, give the artists his opinion. He seemed like such a nice guy.

Well, I was thrilled to be contacted by Stelfreeze's management a while back about my Supergirl piece. They were putting together a sketch book for Stelfreeze and they were hoping they could include my piece.

How could I say no? It is every commission owner's dream to have their piece trumpeted in a sketch book, to share it with the world.

So here is "Freezing Point", this year's Brian Stelfreeze sketch book.

And here is my piece how it looks in the book with the sidebar. See what I mean about a natural healthy looking body but also a coy sensuality? The small touches speak volumes ... the upturned eyebrow, the turned in foot ... they make this a powerful piece. This is one of my favorite commissions in my collection.

Also in the book is the eye-popping color Supergirl piece. Whoever owns this commission has an absolute masterpiece.

I have Brian Stelfreeze's blog linked here and I think it is very much worth a look. He often posts sketches, paintings, and comic art there usually with some discussion of his approach to the piece.

Baltimore Comic-con: Superman Panel

The Baltimore Comic-con is this weekend and unfortunately I am stuck in rain-soaked Massachusetts. Luckily, sites like Newsarama do a great job of reporting on the panels. For example, here is the link to the Superman panel coverage.

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/090827-baltimore-superman.html

The members of the panel were Matt Idelson, Superman books editor; Sterling Gates, Supergirl writer; James Robinson, Superman writer; Geoff Johns, Action Comics writer; and Jamal Igle, artist on Supergirl.

Shockingly, there is a lot of talk about Supergirl, almost as much as about Superman! I have faith in what is being said about the new direction of Supergirl. I hope that all this publicity leads to higher sales.

Here are the Supergirl specific bits with some comments by me. For any fan of the super-titles, you should read the whole thing.

The first issue of Supergirl by the new creative team of Gates and Igle comes out Wednesday and features a media blitz by Cat Grant in a story called, "Why the World Doesn't Need Supergirl."

Well, we are only 4 days away from the release. I don't think I can talk any more about the issue without actually seeing it. But I am very intrigued by the Cat Grant storyline.

Robinson said Gates is doing a lot for the Supergirl series, including giving Supergirl a rogues gallery. He said Gates' writing is fantastic and Igle's artwork is fantastic. "I think they're going to be one of the greatest combinations that DC has seen for a long time."

So I know this is a lot of hype and propaganda, but for Robinson to gush a bit about the new team, it must be good! I also like the idea of their finally being a supporting cast and a rogues gallery for Kara.

We have already seen Reactron. While I hope there will be new villains created for Kara, I hope that Gates and Igle re-invent Blackstarr. In the Daring New Adventure issues, Blackstarr certainly had the power to be a legitimate threat for Supergirl. We saw a glimpse of a new Blackstarr in Action Comics #850, an issue which also hinted at the Brainiac and New Krypton storylines. Maybe that foreshadowing will come to pass too!

Johns will finish up the Brainiac story in Action Comics and it will continue into the New Krypton Special. All the Superman-related books will have the triangles on the front. "Each one of our books will deal with the bigger story but also threads that our characters deal with," Johns said. Igle said in Action Comics #869, Supergirl's parents are alive, and Igle will flesh out the story. Gates said Supergirl #35 will explain everything that's happened up to this point with Supergirl and how that fits with the discovery of her parents.

While there is some concern from some that integrating Supergirl into the Superman title will take away her individuality, I think it is a step in the right direction. I think that you can't have Supergirl exist in a vacuum without any interaction with Superman. It wouldn't make sense for Kryptonian cousins on Earth to not interact with each other.

The truth is I think Kara will be integrated with the super-titles not subsumed by them. For example, my guess is the Supergirl title in the New Krypton story won't be simply a chapter in the arc, but rather how Kara is dealing with the presence of Kandor and the survival of her parents. Kara has always shown that she preferred Krypton to Earth, how much she misses it. She will be conflicted, and that conflict is ripe for a good story.

No on to the Q&A from the audience.

- Why is Supergirl the way she is?

Gates: Supergirl #35.

On the DC boards and now here, the new creative team have said that issue #35 will answer all questions about the muddled origin story of this Supergirl. Hopefully there will be some resolution of the mad Zor-El, ranger Zor-El, and now scientist Zor-El beginnings we have seen. Jamal Igle on a couple of boards has stated that the new origin seen in this month's Action Comics is *the* origin. Thank goodness !!! Hopefully no more 'kill Kal-El' Zor-El ever!

- Superhorse comic?

Idelson said to check out the Cosmic Adventures of Supergirl in Eighth Grade.

One more reason for me to need to check out this title! If 2008 is The Year of Streaky, maybe 2009 will be The Year of Comet.

- What is Lana Lang doing? And are there any plans for Supergirl to have a boyfriend?

Gates: Lana will be in Supergirl, and she'll take a mentor role. She's going to play a huge part in Supergirl.
Johns: Lana will be a main character in the Superman universe.
Gates: As for relationships, keep reading.

It will be interesting to see how Lana ends up in Supergirl's life. She certainly has the experience to help Kara work her way comfortably into the super-heroic community.

As for relationships, please no Power Boy. And please no Dick Malverne. He has had his stories. I remember the days when Supergirl lamented about her inability to hold down a boyfriend. And if she did, they were pirates, crooks, or henchmen. I hope that the new team fleshes out Kara's character before hanging a man on her arm.

- Can you explain who are the various Supergirls?

Robinson: There's no point in dealing with the past.

Gates: In Supergirl #35, we're telling a Supergirl Secret Origin.

Johns: Anyone who wants to know who Supergirl is can look at that issue. We're not going to reference the other Supergirls. We won't talk about Linda Danvers because she's not important to THIS Supergirl.

While I think at some point it might be nice to have this Supergirl interact with Linda, the truth is we don't know this Kara at all. It has been 3 years worth of stories with multiple origins, multiple styles ... I don't know this Kara.

Before we see her interacting with the old Supergirls, before we see endless guest-stars again, let's learn more about Supergirl herself.

- Will Supergirl have a secret identity?

Gates [smiling]: Hmmm... That's a good idea.

I should have run a 'should she have a secret identity' poll.

I think she should. Sounds like Gates thinks so too!

- How do you interact with the storyline when you draw Supergirl?

Igle [joking]: There's a lot of cursing involved.

Gates: The first thing he said to me after reading a script was he called me and said, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Igle: I'm a big believer in letting people do their jobs. But Gates is making Supergirl not only a likable character but a sympathetic character. I feel like I need to step up my game because of the writing Sterling's doing.

Gates: And Jamal really has stepped up his game. He's doing the work of his career."You're going to pick up Supergirl #34, and it's not going to look like any Supergirl issue you've ever seen," Igle said.

I have always liked Igle's art, but man it sounds like he hit this one out of the park!

But I think we all are looking forward to reading a likable and sympathetic Supergirl. We have waited long enough!

- If you haven't read earlier issues of Supergirl, will you understand issue #34?

Gates: Yes.

Johns: All you need to know is she's Superman's cousin.

Time for Supergirl fans to start a grass roots campaign too and talk up this issue at the local comic book store. Talk it up! Great time to pick up the title! Exciting new direction!

You know the drill!