Change their minds, and change the world

Today's Comic Art Friday is dedicated to KJ, who effective this date has been Mrs. Me for exactly 22 years now. Anyone within sniffing distance of sanity will rightly wonder how a woman could survive living with a certifiable nutcase like me for that long.

Did someone say Wonder Woman? (If I am not the Sultan of Segue, no such potentate exists.)

We feature a pair of nifty pinups of our favorite Amazon today, both courtesy of veteran comic artist Dan Adkins. First, a classically styled pose:



Then, this moody work that captures Diana in a weary, tension-fraught posture. Adkins beautifully conveys the frustration and resignation in her expression and body language.



Both of these pieces showcase Adkins's pristine line work and absolutely flawless inking. Seen up close and in person, his blacks are so solid that you could practically fall into them.

It's no secret that I rank Mr. A. high on my list of the most underrated and underappreciated artists in the history of the medium. He might not have been the most compelling storyteller ever — which may have been part of the reason he became better known as an inker rather than as a penciler, even though he did plenty of pencil art back in the day — but the purity of his draftsmanship stands up to anyone's. And his inking? As I said: Flawless.

The very first artwork I acquired for my Wonder Woman gallery was, not coincidentally, a portrait of Diana by Dan Adkins. This one, in fact.



It's rare that I would own three images of the same character by the same artist, in the same medium. But when you observe the different emotional qualities in each of these drawings, you'll understand why they're all essential to my "Temple of Diana."

And that's your Comic Art Friday. Thanks for stopping by.

Happy anniversary, KJ. You're a wonder.