Cosmic Adventures Production Art

I really like any glimpse I can get into the creative process behind comic book production. Whether it is promo art or concept art or the travel from thumb nail to finished sketch, I like seeing it all. It gives me a better handle on what the writer or artist is thinking.

Anything I run across like that involving Supergirl I will always post here. So imagine how excited I was to see on Landry Walker's blog that he is going to start showing the production art behind Supergirl:Cosmic Adventures in the Eighth Grade. Here is the link for the Lena Thorul page: http://xray-studios.livejournal.com/49567.html . As always, it is best to head to the source itself and read Walker's whole entry.

On the blog, Walker says that the general look of Lena was already cemented and that the big decision was her hair style ... hence the pics above. Looks like they knew what they wanted there too.

More interesting was the development of her battle armor. Here is one design that was shot down.

And Walker's own words on the subject:

Part of it was that these designs were way to busy. Part of it is that they removed to much of Lena's personality. But mainly, it was that we needed to strengthen the association between Lena and Lex. By having Lena in battle armor reminiscent of her brothers giant indestructible robot, we helped create a visual short-cut between the two characters. This is just as effective at establishing the relationship as the secret emails between brother and sister at the end of issue 2.

I agree that you sort of lose Lena in the proposed armors above. It looks a little too Gundam-y insect-y for me. The top one looks more like she would be the sister of The Great Machine in Ex Machina.

Here was the final armor which clearly shows a more Luthor family feel to it. It makes you instantly know where Lena's loyalties lie.

Walker has since posted production stills of the series' teachers including Mr. Mxyzptlk in his Principal Pycklemeyer guise.

And next he says he is going to post sketches of other students including one based on Dick Malverne! The student is named Ricky Wilson (of course Dick Malverne was Dick Wilson before he was adopted).

I hope some of these can be included in the back of the eventual trade.