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Weird Science #23! This was a commission piece based on a sketch from a post-it note. The Science Fiction of the 1950s and 1960s has always been a favorite of mine. Often in movies and EC comics like “Weird Science,” men and women explored space in zippered jumpsuits and glass bubble helmets. For this piece, I based my heroine on ‘50s actress Mamie Van Doren. Van Doren achieved fame around the time of Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield. In fact, Marilyn, Mamie, and Mansfield were known as "The Three M's". However, Van Doren didn’t achieve the fame and notoriety of Monroe or Mansfield, who both died tragically at an early age. Van Doren is still alive and (as of this writing) will be celebrating her 90thbirthday on February 6th. My villainess in this piece is based on Bettie Page, a ‘50s model who was often maligned for the photographs she posed for. In 1955, Bettie was called to testify in front of a United States Senate Special Committee. She never did, but the uproar forced her out of modelling. Remember, this was right around the time that Joseph McCarthy and the House Committee on Un-American Activities were looking for Communist under every bed. This was also around the same time (1954) that Dr. Fedric Wertham published his book, “Seduction of the Innocent,” which claimed comic books contributed to juvenile delinquency. This led to yet another Senate Committee to investigate his claims, which, in the process, put hundreds of publishers, like EC’s William Gaines, out of business or in financial straits. One of the specific comics Wertham claimed warped the minds of young boys, was “Phantom Lady” #17 (1948), drawn by African American artist Matt Baker. It depicts Phantom Lady tied to a post and besieged upon by armed thugs. So with my piece, I tried to pay tribute to that cover, only my heroine is in a more futuristic setting. Thankfully, this is no longer the 1950s, so hopefully there will be no Senate Subcommittees looking at it. Enjoy!

Description

Weird Science #23! This was a commission piece based on a sketch from a post-it note. The Science Fiction of the 1950s and 1960s has always been a favorite of mine. Often in movies and EC comics like “Weird Science,” men and women explored space in zippered jumpsuits and glass bubble helmets. For this piece, I based my heroine on ‘50s actress Mamie Van Doren. Van Doren achieved fame around the time of Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield. In fact, Marilyn, Mamie, and Mansfield were known as "The Three M's". However, Van Doren didn’t achieve the fame and notoriety of Monroe or Mansfield, who both died tragically at an early age. Van Doren is still alive and (as of this writing) will be celebrating her 90thbirthday on February 6th. My villainess in this piece is based on Bettie Page, a ‘50s model who was often maligned for the photographs she posed for. In 1955, Bettie was called to testify in front of a United States Senate Special Committee. She never did, but the uproar forced her out of modelling. Remember, this was right around the time that Joseph McCarthy and the House Committee on Un-American Activities were looking for Communist under every bed. This was also around the same time (1954) that Dr. Fedric Wertham published his book, “Seduction of the Innocent,” which claimed comic books contributed to juvenile delinquency. This led to yet another Senate Committee to investigate his claims, which, in the process, put hundreds of publishers, like EC’s William Gaines, out of business or in financial straits. One of the specific comics Wertham claimed warped the minds of young boys, was “Phantom Lady” #17 (1948), drawn by African American artist Matt Baker. It depicts Phantom Lady tied to a post and besieged upon by armed thugs. So with my piece, I tried to pay tribute to that cover, only my heroine is in a more futuristic setting. Thankfully, this is no longer the 1950s, so hopefully there will be no Senate Subcommittees looking at it. Enjoy!