A few years ago I was a mentor in a now-defunct post-graduate program at Sheridan College in Oakville near Toronto. The one-year  crash course was designed to train mature students from various backgrounds as illustrators. Once a week, my job was to meet with only 4 students, give them assignments, critique and help build portfolios. Our little group got on very well and because it was so small, we often met up in Toronto to do gallery walks or visit artists’ studios. One of my group, the very talented writer and excellent drawer, Jeff Lemire has since become a highly successful comic book artist with an anthology and a monthly title among other things. (Check out his wonderful work here: www.jefflemire.com ) Recently Jeff commissioned a portrait of Batgirl, specifically as portrayed by Yvonne Craig on TV . I can’t tell you how thrilled I was, the Batman series being a lifelong obsession (Does anyone else remember guest villain Tallulah Bankhead as The Black Widow?)  I had so much fun doing this, remembering first seeing the show as a very young person and not understanding it was supposed to be camp. I wanted my bedroom to be Batgirl’s revolving boudoir/purple-motorcycle-with-lace-trim garage SO bad!I also remember being confused sometimes between Batgirl and Catwoman and Batgirl’s reflection in my piece above I think slightly resembles the divine Julie Newmar. 

Thanks, Jeff, for such a fun time and continued success to you!