#Leopard and owls illustration

[decadentkidturkeywagon]

Elegant Illustrative Style: Bold Colors and Playful Nature Design-Posters with Wooden Frame

Explore a surreal fusion of nature and artistry in this hand-drawn masterpiece. A sleek, white leopard with vivid red markings is the star of this composition, accompanied by two intricately designed owls. Set against a rich navy backdrop and surrounded by golden plants, this bold, decorative design captures elegance and playfulness in perfect harmony

Discover this stunning artwork and more! Visit our website now to explore our unique collection

[necroart]

I was recently rummaging through my old drawings for a college portfolio and found some cool sketches.

[thosetrollkids]

MONSTOBER: DESIGNS

Part 1: Teen Cast!

HELLOOOOO everybody! Welcome to my project, Monstober! A series of several posts with large, in depth looks at different aspects of my AU, Monster Kids, that I wrote during October this year. Special thanks to @eurazba for listening to me ramble over all this and helping with the AU over the years <3

This post will be going over the general monster designs for notable teen characters, as well as some thoughts as to why I chose said designs :D

There will be a second post for the main adult cast, and once posted, you can find it linked here :)

Jim / Toby / Claire

Jim Lake Jr (Sphinx): It's him! The poster boy! Wahoo! Honestly, I don't have many notes for his design process, because his design has stayed relatively similar since the early drafts. His was the very first design, and other than being a typical lion/eagle sphinx for like. two drawings, and then a panther/blackbird for two more, once the snow leopard/blue jay combo was struck, he's only really changed in small ways. I chose a blue jay, because they're one of my favorite birds, they're blue, and I'd used them to be an accent to Jim in a previous drawing. Snow leopards are also my favorite big cat! So similar reasoning for that particular aspect. If I were to design him today, blank slate, I miiiight have changed his cat species, but I still am way too attached to the leopard/jay combo.

Toby Domzalski (Gargoyle): Toby's design also hasn't changed much! The main trio haven't, other than minor adjustments. He originally had yellow eyes, but they're back to standard green. He also used to have larger wings, and while I liked the idea of the main three being able to fly together, I decided to go with a different route as I leaned into his design looking more aquatic, and he instead has wing shaped back fins! They fold down and sit under his clothes, as he only really can use them while swimming.

Claire Nuñez (Harpy) Also another design I haven't changed since conception! Harpies were always something cool to me, and I was inspired by an illustration of harpies in a mythology book I had bought at the time. Her design was originally just 'bird' until I tired to find a more specific species that fit. I landed on barn owls, and coincidentally, they are also associated with brujeria/witchcraft in Mexico! Win-win. With her stronger connection to magic overall, she's also the only member of Team Trollhunter that can fly reliably; her magic feeds her energy enough to keep in the air (Jim's wings are too small for anything besides light gliding and cushioning falls).

Steve / Eli / Krel / Aja

Steve Palchuk (Faun): Steve's design was always pretty formed in my head. For the guy that tries so very hard to be an all-American boy, an icon of that is the whitetail deer buck, and it very quickly fell into place! His design is fairly simple, which is why it works so well for him, IMO. Fun fact, he has a set of scars on his cheek from the equivalent of the fight he had with Jim in S1. More to expand on in a later comic, >:3c

Eli Pepperjack (Bat Humanoid): Eli was actually also a sphinx originally, but I wanted Jim to stay fairly unique among the main teens, so my follow up design was something more batlike! I did do plenty of research for monster bats, or hybrid bat monsters, but what research I could do didn't produce much (then again, could always be wrong!), so I went with 'attributes'. He's based on a Little Brown Bat. He little >:) His wings are also not capable of flight, they're basically large hands, all the better to hunt down creepers with, my dear.

Krel & Aja Tarron (Amphibious humanoids): WAHOOOOO!!!! I'm very proud of these, because you have NO IDEA how many months I struggled to find a design I liked for them. They have been (checks notes) spidertaurs, a few other passes of various insectoid tries, I was going to attempt something more seal like, because I knew the main group's designs were already mammal-heavy, and something aquatic or insectoid was what I wanted to balance the group out. Then my beloved @eurazba, listening to me ramble one night, helped me come to the idea of their 'human' transductions looking closer to old monster movies! Creature from Black Lagoon was an easy pick, I did some research about CFBL and Shape of Water (thanks Del Toro), and bada bing, bada boom! My fishy twins! Also Krel is the only one wearing shoes. Just realized this...

Mary / Darci / Shannon

Mary Wang (Dryad): Mary has also gone through a lot of changes (turns out, I was very indecisive outside of the main trio, AJDJSBSJFHB). She was actually a -taur alongside Darci! Specifically a unitaur (saw a lot of alternate Monster Falls art of Mabel Pines as one, and I really liked the idea. The overall AU was inspired by the Gravity Falls AU, now you know!) She stayed that for a while, then also went through some bug-like redesigns, and then a couple months back, I decided on a dryad! Before that point, I was trying to stay strictly to animalistic monster designs, but it became a little too confining, so she exploded into my sketchbook and became real. Her tree is a california redbud, and her 'antlers' are like the branches of the tree, and leaves/flowers bloom in time with the season on them. The hooves were based on a Zelda design from an artist I liked a lot (truffe.art on IG!)

Darci Scott (Praying Mantis-taur): HERE COMES THE BUG PAYOFF. Some of you may remember my design for Darci hasn't changed for quite some time, and while I liked the look of the cervitaur (a centaur, but deer), it didn't feel... as unique as I wanted? And I was still missing my BUG. So, debating over this, I did a few passes of her mixed with a bee, spider, etc etc... and then once again, @eurazba was like "hey! praying mantis." and I fell in LOVE with the concept. (Very quickly sketched her up as I was doing these sheets, actually NDJSNJKJD)

Shannon Longhannon (Gorgon): Last design of the group, another that has hardly changed since conception. Nagas, gorgons, lamias- whatever they're called, I love the visual of a reptilian character slinking around gracefully, and she helped balance out all the mammalian designs as well. She was originally a typical green/yellow snake, but when I inevitably color her, I picture something more ruddy, reddish brown, to match her hair :) She indeed is able to turn someone to stone, but as she was not born a gorgon, this ability is dulled, and only lasts for a few hours, working only if she focuses completely on doing so to someone. She's taken to wearing shades more often to not scare people who don't know this.

[clumsiestgiantess]

I’ve been working on some DNAliens stuff recently and realized I don’t have a height chart with all of them together, just them beside human height for reference.  So, in case anyone wants to know a bit about all the DNAlien ocs I have, as well as their heights, here’s a little guide.  (Illustrations to be added over time; I’ve posted a few on my blog already)

Now without further ado..

A quick guide to all the DNAliens that live/have lived on earth

Tselani (aka my self-insert with a separate backstory): Her three mutations are human, ancient ground bat, and kentrosaurus.  She lives in the dense cold forests between Canada and North America, and has the ability to reanimate corpses by combining what’s left of them.  After the village she cared for was destroyed in the War, she settled down in the Rocky Mountains as a suitable refuge from humankind.  She’ll occasionally reveal herself to or befriend them if they seem kind enough.

Jactol: His three mutations are gorgonopsid, anomalocaris, and DNAlien.  He lives in a deep cave system beneath South Africa, and has the ability to exhale a heavy noxious gas that will rapidly choke victims to death.  A misunderstanding between him and Tselani caused them to fall out of love.  After nearly being poached by humans, he grew a hatred and now vindictiveness for them, and will often toy with and torture any that cross his path before he inavitably kills them.

Aethra: Her three mutations are jerboa, cuttlefish, and DNAlien.  She lives in a large open cavern within the southeast section of the Himalayan Mountains, and has the ability to manipulate a creature’s desires.  She's like a cat lady but with humans, and keeps a minimum of three or four of them in her home at one time.  Unfortunately, she takes them against their will and many of them don’t want to be there.

Eracin: Her three mutations were screech owl, snow leopard, and Terrinu (a creature not native to Earth).  She roamed the Eurasian Steppe until settling down with Aethra, and had the ability to slow time with her heartbeat.  Her and Aethra kept humans safe during the War, but unfortunately they were attacked and Eracin laid down her life to give Aethra and the humans time to flee.  Unlike her lover, Eracin viewed humans as intelligent beings in their own right — on a similar level as her own kind.

Vremonl: During his brief time on Earth, he only took one mutant strand besides his own DNAlien one, a chausie cat.  He stayed around an ancient city in Egypt that sat near the Nile, and has the ability to morph additional limbs along his body.  He only stayed on Earth for several centuries to study various types of the planet's natural fauna before returning to Firsthome.

Helleia: Her three mutations are human, tussock moth, and locust.  She lives in the swampy everglades of Florida, and has the ability to infect living things with her hivemind that she can instruct with simple directions.  One of her favorite pasttimes is taking unsuspecting humans into her domain, luring them to herself with a proposed relationship.  She’ll occasionally take the time to build relationships with humans, but it's a facade; her abilities work stronger on those who have emotional ties to her.

Tserem: His three mutations are human, eastern brown snake, and arthropleura.  He is a wanderer and doesn’t have a definitive home, though he does tend to shelter in places where other DNAlien friends reside.  He has the ability to quickly expel any ailments or illnesses.  Tserem used to live in Central Europe with a beloved human, but he hasn’t stayed in a single place for very long since her passing.

Xr: Their three mutations are jaguar, toucan, and DNAlien.  They live in the craggy mountains of the South American rainforest, and have the ability to infect beings with disease by looking at them.  Xr has been living in the same place for epochs as he is older and isn’t interested in finding any other place to live.  He has a fairly large cult of natives who have been worshiping him and keeping him alive for generations.

Kraken: His three mutations are human, giant squid, and megalodon.  He lives deep in the Atlantic Ocean avoiding any human contact, and has the ability to generate and manipulate water and wind currents.  Ever since he was betrayed by the group of pirates he worked for, he’s been in hiding from humans.  However, he understands that not all humans are cruel and will act kindly towards them unless hostility is shown.

Corven: His three mutations are human, bold jumping spider, and plourdosteus fish.  He lives in an open cavern in the Mexican desert, and has the ability to bind two beings in an unbreakable oath that shuts down the oath-breaker’s internal systems for periods of time.  In his younger years, his rare ability gave him a quick rise to fame, but a quick rise to burnout as well.  He lives on Earth to hide from his fame, and later humanity as well, but will still give out binding deals to those who manage to find him.

Harneon: His three mutations are human, grizzly bear, and woolly rhinoceros.  He lives in the open grasslands of North America, and has the ability to stimulate muscle tissue to go above and beyond its limitations.  While his home is here, he often takes extended vacations to several other planets.  Rumor has it that he has several other ongoing relationships that he participates in on each planet, and Earth is his getaway from all of them.

Enercill: Her three mutations are human, jackrabbit, and killer lizard (a species not native to Earth).  She has the ability to hide her third mutation and mutate between two forms at will.  Enercill travels between largely-populated human cities, thriving off clubbing and nightlife there.  Underground, she’s made quite the name for herself, and people come from all places to.. spend time with her.

Siem: Her three mutations are human, sturgeon, and dunkleosteus.  She lives in the place humans call the Bermuda Triangle, and has the ability to magnetize her body.  Commonly she uses her ability to hunt down shining metals, and is an avid collector of anything with bright colors or shining properties.  Occasionally she’ll kidnap humans who are artisans and keep them on deserted islands like pets to make her more valuables.

Wraith: His two mutations are deinonychus and DNAlien.  He lives off-world, and has the ability to combust as well as be completely fire-resistant.  He was an avid supporter of the ‘humankind are subservient animals’ group during the War, and ruled over a large civilization before he was bested by Atnoir, who was fighting for the ‘equal rights of humans’ group during the War.

Atnoir: His three mutations are saichania, woolly mammoth, and human.  He lives near the arctic circle to steer clear of any humans, and his ability is heightened senses, which comes in handy when you’re the size of a small mountain.  Before the War, Atnoir used to live in Northern Europe where he took care of many human civilizations, and fought for them in the War.  However, he has banished himself to a human-less place after even his own humans turned on him.

Orner: Their three mutations are human, anaconda, and elasmosaurus.  They live between several uninhabited islands of Japan, and they have the ability to multiply their body like a single cell organism, and regroup.  They’re a trickster at heart who overall means no harm, but once in a while they take things a little too far.  They've befriended several humans, but usually gets them killed accidentally.

Orin: His three mutations are maned wolf, flying squirrel, and moray eel.  He lives in the mountains of Alaska, and has the ability to connect and disconnect beings’ consciousnesses.  He can cause both mass hysteria and deep emotional connections within the network of beings he connects, but has no way of controlling what actually happens.  His altruistic tendencies often backfire, and even his own kind are wary of him.

Arn: Her three mutations are human, roe deer, and stone pine.  She’s one of the few DNAliens to ever mutate with a plant; while it is possible it’s hardly ever practical.  She lives in a forest near the Mediterranean coast, and has the ability to coax plants into growing incredibly fast.  She's always been extremely docile and elusive.  Back when humans believed in benevolent mythical beings, she traded plants with people to better her large garden.  She still tends to it to this day in honor of her beloved, who courted her and helped her tend to the garden when it was still small.

If you have any questions about any of my ocs, leave me an ask!  I’m more than happy to rant about them, or draw you a sketch! Most of them have full background stories I plan to write one day, like Tserem’s and Tselani’s, but these are just quick rundowns of each

[canmom]

Do you have a favourite Goetic demon? I have a soft spot for Ose, Stolas, and Decarabia.

I won't lie, I only really know the ones who [umineko spoilers]. I'm not much of a wizard, but I read enough things that I pick up a thing here and there!

So, let's take a look at your faves ^^ This is from the version on sacred-texts, which was edited by Crowley.

OSÉ, or VOSO.--The Fifty-seventh Spirit is Oso, Osé, or Voso. He is a Great President, and appeareth like a Leopard at the first, but after a little time he putteth on the Shape of a Man. His Office is to make one cunning in the Liberal Sciences, and to give True Answers of Divine and Secret Things; also to change a Man into any Shape that the Exorcist pleaseth, so that he that is so changed will not think any other thing than that he is in verity that Creature or Thing he is changed into. He governeth 30  1 Legions of Spirits, and this is his Seal, etc.

I do like how many of the demons teach "liberal sciences". Hell must be a very erudite place. Turning people into stuff is certainly a neat power. Ose is the demon you want to call for TF shenanigans, evidently. Also, manifesting as a leopard and then turning into a man? You're saying this is some sorta catboy demon?

As far as the seal goes, it looks like a circuit diagram. We have two inductors connected in parallel and then... yeah, OK, I'm not sure what the other stuff would be. The bottom has a bit that's kinda like the antenna symbol. Not really sure what the like, cross-shaped bits would be! Even so, I like it because electric circuits and demonic sigils are of like nature, I feel.

STOLAS, OR STOLOS.--The Thirty-sixth Spirit is Stolas, or Stolos. He is a Great and Powerful Prince, appearing in the Shape of a Mighty Raven at first before the Exorcist; but after he taketh the image of a Man. He teacheth the Art of Astronomy, and the Virtues of Herbs and Precious Stones. He governeth 26 Legions of Spirits; and his Seal is this, which is, etc.

Last one was a president, this one's a prince. I definitely have a soft spot for avians. I absolutely love this illustration of Stolas from the 19th-century Dictionnaire Infernal:

Look at him! What a cutie. 'Owl with long legs' is an inspired design.

As far as the sigil goes, this one's kind of a mess. No real symmetry to it, and the elements feel a bit haphazard. In a sense though that kind of works in its favour, lending it an inscrutable air.

This guy got made into a Hazbin Hotel character, so if you search him on google just about every picture is the Vivziepop version.

DECARABIA.--The Sixty-ninth Spirit is Decarabia. He appeareth in the Form of a Star in a Pentacle, at first; but after, at the command of the Exorcist, he putteth on the image of a Man. His Office is to discover the Virtues of Birds and Precious Stones, and to make the Similitude of all kinds of Birds to fly before the Exorcist, singing and drinking as natural Birds do. He governeth 30 Legions of Spirits, being himself a Great Marquis. And this is his Seal, which is to be worn, etc.

Sixty-ninth spirit, nice.

Forming as a pentacle is like... lol sure ok your fursona's a star? Come on dude. But I gotta say, I was won around by his powers. Discovering the virtues of birds and precious stones? I'd love to know about the virtues of birds! That's great! And conjuring illusory birds is also extremely good.

So I love this guy. You phone him up to get bird facts, complete with illustrations. That's so autismcore. Really good.

I couldn't find any illustrations of Ose or Decarabia.

For my part... I'm certainly fond of Ronove because [umineko spoilers]. The Lesser Key is pretty light on detail...

RONOVÉ.--The Twenty-seventh Spirit is Ronové. He appeareth in the Form of a Monster. He teacheth the Art of Rhetoric very well and giveth Good Servants, Knowledge of Tongues, and Favours with Friends or Foes. He is a Marquis and Great Earl; and there be under his command 19 Legions of Spirits. His Seal is this, etc.

...but I think it's cool that his sigil looks like a crazy musical instrument, and he did get a great illustration:

I'll also throw a shoutout to Furfur, mostly because of Heaven Pegasus's song that forms the opening to @xrafstar's and rook's amazing Sticky Zeitgeist series. Let me pull the description:

FURFUR.--The Thirty-fourth Spirit is Furfur. He is a Great and Mighty Earl, appearing in the Form of an Hart with a Fiery Tail. He never speaketh truth unless he be compelled, or brought up within a triangle, △. Being therein, he will take upon himself the Form of an Angel. Being bidden, he speaketh with a hoarse voice. Also he will wittingly urge Love between Man and Woman. He can raise Lightnings and Thunders, Blasts, and Great Tempestuous Storms. And he giveth True Answers both of Things Secret and Divine, if commanded. He ruleth over 26 Legions of Spirits. And his Seal is this, etc.

This is a pretty good blurb. A lot of these descriptions are pretty formulaic, so I like that this one has cute details like 'you gotta use a triangle or he'll lie to you'.

One thing that's kinda funky - and I'm not sure whether it should be blamed on the original authors of the Lesser Key or on Crowley - is that with all the demons said to inspire romantic feelings, it takes some pains to specify 'between men and women' and other sort of explicitly hetero framings! Cowardly, tbh. What's the point of being a wizard if you're not going to be gay?

Furfur's seal has these funky little spirals, which is a pretty rare design element! Elf shit. The bilateral symmetry is neat.

Furfur gets another great illustration in the Dictionnaire (do these guys ever miss!) - check this out

Flying deer furry! Way ahead of its time.

[milidot]

It's time for a summary of the art I did this year (including fiber arts)!!

I always love this time of year, mostly as a reflection for myself (I have ones going back to 2015 which is -- nine years ago now, that's the year I started doing digital art. I'll have to do something in honor of next year!!)

Anyways, so I didn't do much art in January. Pretty much the only thing I have from there is this pen sketch page featuring the three main video essayists I was watching a lot of on YouTube -- Abigail from Philosophy Tube, Verity from VerilyBitchie, and Lily Alexandre. All three of them are very good!! I've kinda fallen off the video essay train recently in favor of oc redesign art videos and knitting podcasts but I'm sure I'll get back to it, and to these three specifically. Oh, and I crocheted a witch hat.

In February I did a few traditional illustrations, mostly scenes with my OCs. This particular one is I think my favorite, featuring Lexa, a naga, and Sienna, an Indian-Australian librarian human woman. They're cute. I also crocheted a potted plant for my friend's birthday, and tried out tapestry crochet with a design I made up myself. The tapestry is still sitting on my shelf, idk what to do with it.

In March I started participating in the TopOC competition/art challenge (on instagram), so this was my entry for the second prompt, I believe. It's my characters Jamie (the filipina gal) and Caleb (white boy) . I'm really proud of this illustration! The lighting especially. It's probably my most polished piece all year. And also this month I finished my first ever raglan knit sweater! It's the Arendal sweater by Drops design. Free pattern.

April was a low month - I barely drew (this is a pen sketch of Caleb with the lyrics to "wrecking ball" by Mother Mother and it may be the only thing I drew that month) and I crocheted a top that was super uncomfortable, not at all my style, scratchy and horrible. I immediately took it apart. Ew.

In May we have a continuation of TopOC -- this time, Jamie and Caleb in fancy outfits at a garden party. This is a pretty fun one as well, although I was lazier on the lighting. I was also working this month on the knitting projects I finished in June.

Apropos June -- featured here is the reference sheet for my fursona, which I remade in preparation for artfight. She's an owl-leopard hybrid. In terms of knitting I made a pink tank top thing with some faux cabling, which accidentally went in the dryer so now its fit is weirdly drapey, and a big cardigan (the Reading Cardigan by Jared Flood) for my grandma. Also this month I started my Pride illustration, but because I only finished it in November, I couldn't think where to put it in this summary sheet.

In July was artfight, and I just did art for other people, so here is a pixelart couple for j.morp_art and libbywantstosleep on instagram. I'm happy with how these two came out! Not sure why I was in a pixel art phase at the time.

In August I drew some of my newest characters - Elena, a trans woman, and her daughter Bella, a five year old girl who takes her stuffed lizard everywhere. The big triangle thing is a lacy shawl I made which I'm not super happy with but like, whatever. I mostly wanted to learn how to do lacework, and I did, kind of.

September's art was just about all cringetober stuff, funnily enough. This is a snippet from a set of mini comics I did for the prompt 5+1 things, which I think was my favorite thing, although I did like many of them. So this is Sara, she's a vampire.

In October I did a tiny bit more for cringetober but gave up on the challenge I think on day 17, so here instead is my halloween illustration of Jamie and Caleb dressed as Wirt and Greg from over the garden wall. Cuties.

In November I drew pretty much nothing new (except finishing my Pride month illustration) so this is a bit from my baby cousin's birthday card. He's one year old and he is THE CUTEST. I can't decide if the picture looks like him (he's probably cuter irl).

And finally, in December, an illustration drawn on my phone with my finger in Sketchbook: Sara again, the vampire, and Lauren. I've got another post with more details about these two, but uh, they've got a complicated relationship. This is Sara showing up in the middle of the night after Lauren thought she was dead. For two years. Ooops. -- oh, and the knitting is a Portal-themed scarf I started in August and kinda hate? I made it to practice colorwork and duplicate stitching mostly. The striped parts have that optical illusion thing where at an angle they have a picture (the Aperture logo).

That's it for this year's summary! I don't suppose anyone cares much about my ramblings but future me probably will :) hi future me!

[vengefulvermin]

🦉Positivity owl reporting for duty! This was sent by a friend who wants you to smile as much as your posts make them smile. Please list five things that make you unique, four things you are super passionate about and why, OR three of your favorite memories. Feel free to send the owl to those who you feel deserve to smile🦉

thank you for this lovely ask!! :'D

5 things that make me unique:

i collect media! particularly CDs DVDs and vinyls but i have a huge affinity for books, pictures, figures ect

i never learnt how to properly hold a pen (and i'm rlly struggling rn as i grow out my nails LMAO)

i guess my style makes me unique. to the average eye my style looks really tacky which i understand and actually agree with in a few ways, but i'm really into leopard print, red/bright pink lipstick, blue eyeshadow, colored tights and angular bright blush.

when i was a tiny kid (4 years old) i was at the zoo and i SNUCK INTO THE GATOR EXHIBIT. apparently i had no fear and they kinda just chilled around me.

i was born on the day the positron was discovered

4 things i'm super passionate about

MUSIC HISTORY !!! anywhere from the twentieth century interests me!

art animation and illustrations

movies

pokemon for some reason

thank you again for the ask!!

[inprnt]

"Artober - Day 11" by Laura Pauselli on INPRNT

[dinsengii]

some recent doodles

as you can see i have the fan art front and center showing i know how to advertize myself, i am -indeed- a professional

bottom three pics are my brother’s ocs and i love them

[silverscalestudios]

And finally to the chill of winter

Where spirits of the snow

Emerge for the year’s last lights.

[jangojim]

JANGODOODLE. Band of Misfits 2. Recognize yourself? Felt a bit like retarded mushroom this morning, but more like jaguar fruit salad now.

[decadentkidturkeywagon]

Whimsical Wildlife Art: A Leopard and Owls in Stunning Symmetry-Poster Wall Art

Immerse yourself in a whimsical scene of nature, featuring a graceful leopard adorned with bright red spots and intricate geometric patterns. Two charming owls perch gracefully on its back, creating a stunning centerpiece surrounded by golden foliage. The deep navy background enhances the vibrant colors and adds an artistic, decorative flair. Perfect for anyone who loves bold, imaginative designs

Discover this stunning artwork and more! Visit our website now to explore our unique collection.

[dollsinthedirt]

String Quartet

[cupcakewarp]

Recent commissions for a friend

[orlissa]

Women in the Golden Age of Comics (1938-1956)

I promised @mercurygray a little overview some time ago, so here we go:

The first thing that we would consider a comic book today was published in 1934 (Famous Funnies #1); the early comics only featured reprinted materials from newspaper strips, but soon new comics were commissioned especially for comic books

The first superhero comic was published in 1938 (Adventure Comics #1, it featured Superman on the cover, and the first Superman story inside, which was only 13 pages long. The creators, high school buddies Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel, who had been working on different versions of the character since 1932/3, were paid $130 for it)

Most comics during these days were anthologies, featuring several shorter stories in several, very different genres (superhero, western, talking animals, etc.) usually on 64 pages; most of them featured at least one story with a female lead to, presumably, attract female audiences.

Everyone was reading comics. “[A]n average of two to three comics per week were read by over 90 percent of six- to eleven-year-olds, 84 percent of twelve- to seventeen-year-olds, and 35 percent of those eighteen and older. In each age group, the numbers of males and females reading comics were roughly equal.”

But working on comics was uncool. If you wanted to be taken seriously as a writer/illustrator, you didn’t really want it to be known that you have worked on comics (e.g Stan Lee’s real name was Stanley Lieber; he started working at Marvel—then known as Timely Comics at 17, and, wanting to be a serious writer one day, he decided not to use his real name for his comics). Academically this is a problem, since many, many comics from this era are uncredited.

Also, many of the early comic book creators were Jewish (often second generation immigrants), so comics were pretty quick on condemning Hitler/WWII. The cover of the first issue of Captain America featured him punching Hitler a year before the USA entered the war.

Okay, so, female characters in this era! There were many of them, but most of them never got their own book, were only featured in a few anthology issues, and were soon forgotten. Mike Madrid puts them into four categories: the Debutantes, the Partners, the Victory Girls, and the Glamour Girls

Debutantes: usually bored heiresses who practice vigilantism for the thrill of it, and to find personal freedom through it.

Phantom Lady (1941): society girl Sandra Knight, who fights spies and criminal using “a blinding black light that renders her foes helpless,” while wearing what’s essentially a yellow swimsuit. She never wears a mask, and yet her senator father and her fiancé, Don, never recognize her.

Spider Widow, Grandmother of Terror (1942): another society girl, Dianne Grayton, who wears a hideous witch mask, long black dress, and a floppy hat, to literally scare her foes into submission

Miss Fury (1941): SUPER IMPORTANT! The first superheroine to be written by a woman (June Tarpé Mills), and one of the first to get her own series. Marla Drake is also a reluctant hero: when preparing for a masquerade ball she learns that another girl is about to wear the same dress as her, she puts on a leopard skin attire that her uncle got her from an African witch doctor—which then gives her powers. She gets attacked on her way to the party, defends herself, and then gets into a whole bunch of misunderstandings that gets her fighting Nazis and spies, not really because she wants to, but because she needs to protect her reputation.

Lady Luck (1940): Brenda Banks, a “modern lady Robin Hood,” who uses her jiu-jitsu and marksmanship skills to fight crime while wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a veil to cover her face.

Partners: lesser appendages of already established male heroes

Shiera/Hawkgirl (1941)—Hawkman’s girlfriend, there is not much to say

Doris Lee—Starman’s sweetheart; Owl Girl—The Owl Rocketgirl—Rocket Man; Doll Girl—Doll Man; always girls, never women.

Mary Marvel—the exception. Captain Marvel’s sister (okay, this is where it gets confusing: this Captain Marvel is who we know today as Shazam. He was published by Fawcett, who then were sued by DC because they said Captain Marvel was too similar to Superman, then Fawcett eventually went under, DC bought to rights for the character, but by then Marvel had their own Captain Marvel—Mar-Vell, in whose story Carol Danvers was a supporting character in the late 60s, who then would go on to star in her own title Ms. Marvel in 1977, and then would become Captain Marvel in 2012, while the Ms. Marvel title was taken up by Kamala Khan in 2014. I know.). You know, the kid who yells Shazam!, and turns into an adult superhero. He shared his powers with his friends, who then became characters like Captain Marvel Jr. and Lieutenant Marvel. But when he shared his power with his twin sister Mary, she 1, turned into a slightly older version of herself instead of an adult and 2, was simply named Mary Marvel. But she was cute and popular and got her own series.

The Victory Girls—women from all walks of life who usually take a double role in the war effort; some regular job during the day, and superheroing during the night

I mean, there were a bunch of patriotic superheroes already: Captain America, Captain Victory, Yankee Eagle, Fighting Yank, Captain Flag, Minute Man, Flag Man, The Shield, etc.

Joan Dale—ordinary reported granted powers by the Statue of Liberty to become Miss America

Joan Wayne—DC stenographermoonlighting as “dreaded bundle of female dynamite” Miss Victory

Linda Turner—Black Cat, Hollywood starlet destroying nazi spy rings to defeat boredom

Pat Parker—War Nurse; nurse during the day, masked hero during the night

Sylvia Manners—Black Angel, masquerading as a frail girl living with her aunt in the English countryside, she is actually a ruthless aviatrix, shooting Nazi planes off the sky

Glamour Girls: since these are post-WWII, I don’t really wanna get into the details. Basically: noir-inspired, darker and grittier, with more emphasis on sex appeal. Basically more for the male gaze at this point.

Not categorized, but Madrid also mentions them:

The Woman in Red—thought to be the first female crime fighter in comics, who wore a sweeping scarlet cloak with a matching mask and skullcap

Fantomah—“a beautiful blonde protectress of the jungle,” who would turn into a terryfing skull-faced goddess in trouble

Madam Fatal—actually a guy, retired stage actor Richard Stanton dressed as an old lady

Red Tornado—Ma Hunkel, a burly working class mother with a cooking pot over her head

And of course Wonder Woman, created by William Moulton Marston in 1941. Marston’s WW is a whole another can of worms I do not want to open now (I can literally fill a 90 minute lecture with Marston)

Some creators—well, there wasn’t many, especially not in the superhero business (just to get a taste: in 1972, Marvel wanted to publish three series aimed at women, written by women, but they had no women on stuff, so they gave the job to the wives of three staff members.

Marjorie Henderson Buell (1904-1993), credited as Marge, creator of the strip Little Lulu (1935-1944)

Edwina Dumm (1893-1990), cartoonist suffragist, the first full-time female editorial cartoonist, creator of the comic strip Cap Stubbs and Tippie (1918-1966)

Dalia “Dale” Messick (1905-2005), comic strip artist, creator of Brenda Starr Reporter (1940-1980), a reflection of herself

June Tarpé Mills (1912-1988), creator of Miss Fury, one of the first female comic book artists, who had a background in fashion. She both wrote and drew Miss Fury, and, fun fact, in 1943 she once draw Miss Fury in such a tiny bikini made of leaves that 37 newspapers cancelled the strip at once (most sources say it was because the outfit was too revealing, but given that she has an apple in one hand and snake around the other, I’d say the reason was blasphemy.

EDIT: I totally forgot: after WWII superheroes went out of fashion, and only a few characters remained in publication. Instead there were horror and true crime comics (which were mostly read by returning GIs, and which would lead to a moral panic over comic in a couple of years) and romance comics for the women. The first romance comic, Young Romance #1 (1947) was created by Joe Simon & Jack Kirby, the creators of Captain America. Even Wonder Woman took on a romance-approach under Robert Kanigher, who took over writing the character in 1947, after the death of Marston.

Bibliography/Recommended reading:

Cocca, Carolyn: Superwomen: Gender, Power, and Representation Gomez, Betsy (ed.): She Changed Comics: The Untold Story of the Women Who Changed Free Expression in Comics Howe, Sean: Marvel Comics: The Untold Story Madrid, Mike: Divas, Dames, & Daredevils: Lost Heroines of the Golden Age of Comics Madrid, Mike: The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines

[levymcgarden55]

Reminder that my pixel commissions are open ✨ I’m thinking of opening them for my regular style, too.

[id: a 2021 art summary. Each of the 12 pieces are labeled with a month. The art style is mostly anime style digital illustration of feminine characters. Text at the top reads “LevyMcGarden42’s 2021”

The first image is a tan magical girl eating a cookie, candy strewn about her feet. The second is a realistic three flower bouquet of a red rose, yellow daisy, and pink rose, all tied with a red ribbon. The third is a snow leopard furry with her hand on her hip. The fourth is a reference image for a water Genasi enby with light blue skin, long blue water hair, and a flowing orange dress.

The fifth is a happy white nonbinary child wearing a flowing bunny hood poncho. The sixth is the same child, now in a blue jumper dress, loudly yelling “tonight, we feast!” With a box of Welch fruit snacks by their feet. The seventh is a brown lady with fire hair dancing serenely. The eighth is intricate pixel art of a blue coral teifling with flowing clothing, holding aloft ice spheres in one hand and a tome in the other.

Nine is pixel art of the earlier light blue water genasi, who is now singing. Ten is pixel art of a succulent in a simplistic owl pot. Eleven is a landscape piece: a white crescent moon melts into a puddle of white chocolate, set against a background of a powdered sugar night sky, a ground of toffee, and a cut away reveals the earth to be made of chocolate squares. Letters cradled in the moon read “Life is sweet.” The last image is done in muted pastels, depicting a white girl with green hair and clothes, making eye contact with the viewer and waving.]