I'd always wanted to visit the Windy City (
The Blues Brothers is a lifelong favorite,) was hot to get commissions again after COVID restrictions cooled, and there were also a bunch of artists and celebrities that I was interested in at FAN EXPO Chicago. One of my first VHS rentals was
Howard the Duck, which I adore because it's such an... odd duck. Others will pick at its flaws, but I was instantly smitten with its offbeat approach, Thomas Dolby soundtrack, the surprisingly good special effects (smirk at the suit if you must, but not the Dark Overlords of the Universe,) and of course Howie's best girl Bev. I'm not sure whether I had yet seen
Back to the Future, but it was this movie that made me first take note of Lea Thompson, who would become a forever crush through her continued work on BTTF, the frankly traumatizing AIDS panic comedy
Casual Sex?, and just under a hundred episodes of the NBC sitcom
Caroline in the City. I'd been using art commission as a rationale to meet celebrities since the Aliens 30th Anniversary project, so why not do the same for Lea via Bev.
I only had a few months to plan for the trip, and would have get most of the commissions at the show itself, which put time pressure on. Out of the artists attending, I figured the best bet for this one was David López, who I knew best from the DC Comics run of
Fallen Angel by Peter David (who eventually moved it to IDW.) That was a rather dark and moody series, but in my research, I came to appreciate his run on
Captain Marvel especially. He was able to offer waterpainted color, which meant a seriously warped piece of paper that proved difficult to scan, but also a wonderful array of colors and tones. You might not believe me, but my favorite part is the hip '80s geometric patchwork on the shirt. He may have ultimately regretted that choice, because he had to commit to the bit across a lot of long-sleeved material, but you couldn't tell by the finished outfit.
I never asked for or expected a likeness, which is a prospect many artists find intimidating. I only ask for them to render the character in these circumstances, which he did very well... but that cleavage was a surprise. In retrospect, I maybe should have given him reference from the Kyle Baker movie adaptation, rather than just photos from the flick, because this was certainly... supple? And then the shy comic nerd with the forever crush also had to work in an explanation to the artist that I didn't mean for her to look like she was painted on the nose of a WWII fighter plane. I do not think that I managed all of that very well, and the encounter was ultimately more awkward than I'd hoped. Ms. Thompson was pleasant enough, but I'm not sure that she knew what to make of me and/or the art. I can't even say "nice piece" without it coming off as catcalling.
