Tula Lotay - Marion Ravonwood (Raiders of the Lost Ark)

I've talked to Tula Lotay a few times at conventions over the years. Besides being very talented artist who is interesting to watch work and a nice person, she is also huge movie aficionado. She's done plenty of great licensed work with Wonder Woman, Mad Max, Birds of Prey, and various movie poster reimaginings for Mondo. So when the opportunity came up to get a commission from her, my mind immediately went to film. I had to give five options for Tula to choose from, and my list was mostly a list of my favorite film heroines, but the first one on my list was Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood in Raiders of the Lost Ark. I love the innocence that Tula brings out in this rendering. It's easy to remember Marion as the smart-ass, tough-as-nails foil to Indy for most of the movie. But when we first meet her in Nepal, Marion is a lonely, scarred kid embittered by her father dying, Indy leaving, and being stuck in the middle of nowhere with no options. With Indy's money in one hand and the headpiece to the staff of Ra in the other, she finally sees a future where she is in control and has options.

But, you know, then the Nazis show up.

Thanks to Paolo and the folks at Cadence Comic Art for setting this up.