This very unique piece has a connection with two other CAF gallery members, the artist, Darryl Banks and comic art gallery pioneer John Bayer. When I was starting my collection in 2001, John's gallery, which predated CAF by years, was one of my favorites. Since John doesn't cling to his collection as I do, I have managed to acquire several of my favorite pieces from his set. This piece in particular was emblematic of his collection in my mind.
Originality/uniqueness is one of my main criteria for judging the worth of a piece and there is nothing like this that I know of. The erstwhile Wonder Girl, while a bit past the girl stage, poses in her apartment, which is in the process of renovation, on a ladder and with a drop cloth thrown over to protect her modesty. The only thing that identifies this as a super hero picture is the portrait over the hearth and maybe the stars on her earrings and the charm on her necklace (I'm not a big enough fan to know what is the significance of that is, but it's plainly a totem or symbol of some kind). She is in utter repose. The background sets up the scene in a kind of detail that is unusual in pin up art. It is very domestic and yet it is both pretty and sexy. I love this one.
This was published as a full-page illustration (page 22) in the August 2006 issue (#17) of Back Issue Magazine.
