Jen Caprio 1/19

It's a Bird...It's a Plane...it's Superman: Magpie

I've decided to start labeling these things...

2010 is such an exciting year for me. I get to do my first La Boheme, I get to do a completely new Salome with one of my dearest friends directing, and I get to design a re-written production of the 1966 "It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's SUPERMAN!" with a new book by the Brilliant Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. Not to mention the dozens of other projects that I'm actually excited about.

I am silmultaneously thrilled and PETRIFIED as to what this means for me. 1. Thrilled. Who wouldn't LOVE to design these heroes and villains, these characters we've all grown up with in so many versions. What's exciting to me about this production is that we're taking villains from all decades of Superman comics, but adapting them to fit into the 1939 period we've selected. We're using the original Fleischer cartoons as inspiration, and looking at Superman through a slight lens of reality as well (a la Smallville, etc...). What this means for me, especially for the villians, is how to adapt their silhouettes for a 1930's-early 40s line and style. How to keep the spirit of, for example, Magpie from the 80's, and put her into the world we've chosen.
2. Petrified. People know and love these stories, and there are so many fanboys out there, I'm just petrified.

So the drawing above is my first attack at a Villain-Magpie. It's not right yet, but it's on the way. I'm trying to adapt her 80's look to a kind-of 30's swimsuit as the basis. But then, we also have to incorporate the bird part...and that's she's evil. I most certainly have to work on my "evil" and also the iconography of these characters.

To boot, they are all doubled roles, so we need to think of creative ways to "disguise" them a bit...so I've enlarged her traditional sunglasses even further, which is also a "period" thing to do...the cat's eye is not too far off.

Tomorrow, I must fully attack this show, but finally, FINALLY, I've gotten a sketch on paper which means it's begun...and the hardest thing for me is beginning, especially when I have about 50 sketches to do, not including the chorus. Gak...vomit...scary...ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Here is the 1980s Magpie: