Art Attack: Megan's Miss Martian Sketchbook

I've already told you all the secret origin of Miss Martian and how my wife, Megan, inspired everybody's favorite green Teen Titan, and also showed the kickin' piece she got from Ethan Van Sciver to canvas the inside cover of her sketchbook. But as with my Nova-themed book, Megan has amassed an impressive collection of Miss Martian sketches from various talented artists, and thanks to the magic of the scanner I got for Christmas, I'm pleased to present them here now...

Todd Nauck
It should surprise nobody that the first official entry in Megan's book is from our good buddy Todd Nauck. The always gracious Mr. Nauck had actually already drawn an incarnation of Miss Martian in the Teen Titans Go! comic adapting the animated series, but not so much the "classic" version. Todd had done his share of commissions and of course put some extra "oomph" in for my girl, putting together this sweet mix of the fun cartoon style and more refined "real" M'gann M'orzz.

Bill Willingham
One of the first comics Megan got into on a regular basis was Fables, so when I spotted the book's writer, Bill Willingham, in Artist's Alley at a Wizard World Los Angeles the weekend of her birthday, I thought one nice present would be a Miss Martian sketch from the man himself. An artist as well as talented writer, Bill had no problem putting pencil to paper and also as a bonus made the piece an unofficial Teen Titans/Fables crossover, with Miss Martian meeting Snow White and learning her unique "super power."

Juan Doe
Another buddy of mine from my Wizard days, ultra-talented man of mystery Juan Doe was extremely enthusiastic about contributing to this sketchbook (although he still refers to the character as "Martian Girl"). As with everything Juan does, this sucker is utterly unique and wonderfully stylized, bringing his knack for design and dynamic sensibility to a character he had never encountered before; just beautiful stuff.

Don Kramer
Another one of those "nicest guys in comics" you're always hearing about, Don Kramer actually lobbied to get a crack at Megan's book, and I'm not gonna say no to somebody with Don's mad skills (and suave good looks). This may look like it took weeks, but Don did it in an afternoon, complete with awesome background and incredible shading. Miss Martian seriously looks like a real figure ready to fly off the friggin' page. This is the kind of care and nuance Don puts into every single commission he does, so if you're at a convention he's attending, do yourself a big favor and track him down (and to the comic book powers that be: give him more work!).

Franco Aureliani
While she was serving as Wizard's official on-screen interviewer at their 2008's Philadelphia convention, Megan hit it off with Art Baltazar and Franco Aureliani, the co-creators of the Eisner award-winning Tiny Titans, which is tough not to do because those dudes are just fun. As they had recently introduced a super cute Miss Martian into Tiny Titans, upon learning of Megan's tie to the character, Franco was more than happy to do this adorable piece.

Dennis Calero
The second two-page spread in Megan's sketchbook came from X Men Noir artist Dennis Calero, who worked long and hard to create a dark, moody Miss Martian who certainly stands out from the pack and does not look like a lady you want to mess with. Not so sure about the bit in the bottom corner (I think he was a bit sleep-deprived), but no question Dennis has a one-of-a-kind style and finesses every line he puts on the paper, so it was cool to see his take here.

Terry Montimore
After he did a kick ass Nova sketch for me, my officemate Margarita's beau, Terry, was hungry for more and did this lovely layout for Megan just in time for our wedding. Believe it or not, this is not Terry's day job, which is pretty insane given how good he is at it. Terry has a great sense of humor and fun, which he does a great job conveying in his art, from the exaggerated facial features to the neat touch of the puppy. Why did he decide to include the Men in Black? Not entirely sure, but it works. I also love the color, which really makes the whole thing pop and adds a new dimension.