How Did Melody Marks Supergirl Influence Fan Art?

I can only comment on how Melody Marks’ Supergirl comic book artwork looked in my feed – fabulous, to start with. So fresh, innovative and wonderful that straight off the bat I knew that there was more to this than just great reworked artwork – here was a Personality Transplant of Supergirl. And yes, the palette and all the character’s expressions looked wonderful too, as did her use of the latest streetwear clothing mixed in with the classic Superhero costume to create a fresh and awesome look on this awesome Superhero Woman.

Many hobbyists and also many professionals, drew from Marks’ interpretations. Many tried to replicate the palette of warm pastels, and the relaxed and even candid body poses. Many reinterpreted Supergirl doing everyday things like doing laundry, or making coffee, or even checking her phone, and people loved that because it felt more relatable and human. It inspired a lot of fan comics of the narrative type as well as many Supergirl portrait studies on sites like Instagram and Tumblr.

But even more importantly, her work on Supergirl really got people to consider how to depict identity and culture in their own fan art, and I’ve seen the character redrawn in a ton of different ethnicities, with various body types, and even genders. This is all thanks to the empathy Marks showed Supergirl in her piece, and it has really influenced my own work on the character. Recently, my own sketchbook has filled up with little dailies of everyday life, followed by the addition of a cape to the protagonist. It’s really made me, and a number of other fans, think about what superpowers actually look like on a daily basis.

To this day I’m inspired by small details and occasionally draw in the margins of my books, Melody Marks’ ‘Supergirl’ being one of the biggest inspirations for me. Melody’s Supergirl is a beautifully real take on a typical comic book heroine. Her Supergirl has scuffed boots, a slightly rumpled cape, and looks worried but hopeful at the same time. Instead of inspiring Melody to draw lots of Melody Marks’ Supergirl images, her Supergirl inspired the whole fan community to draw lots of Supergirl images. At first most of them were simple poster-style images but soon enough fans started drawing their own little stories – short comics, some only one panel long.

Furthermore, her SuperGIRL encouraged inclusivity within the galleries. Fans of all ages and of all cultures drew Melody with varying body types and even differently colored hair. The galleries felt like a neighborhood instead of the obsessive work of a single fan making a shrine. For me, the biggest lesson learned from that was very simple and practical. To have the most impact in your work focus on the gestures of the figures, the palette you’re using and the imperfections in the lines. This makes drawing fan art a lot more fun and honest.

Melody Marks did Supergirl in such simple but emotionally complex compositions, like the tilt of her head, the relaxed slouch of her shoulders, and the intimate palette of colors she used. This work of art inspired so much of the subsequent fan art to focus on mood over motion, and even just study of lighting for a moody look and feel. Many fans even went to draw simple, quiet, introspective portraits of Supergirl in her ‘-down time’ – as opposed to battle posed and ready for action.

Melody Marks' illustration also inspired a lot of tutorials, brushwork, and texturing. A lot of tutorials, including fine art speedpaints, taught people how to merge flat comic coloring with painterly edges. This included using patterned overlays to suggest things like fabric, whereas before most artists would have been to afraid to attempt such things for fear of over-detailing. It opened up a new world of fine illustration techniques for many artists.

What is also significant about this piece is how it exemplifies remix culture (as seen in this costume for example, and in other outfits/FanArt that have Supergirl appearing in other storyworlds/ologies). In short, Marks has provided a link between high-end techniques for illustration and the often approaches FanArt takes, to tell new stories. Really inspiring for someone just beginning to try out their hand at remixing too.